Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the
most serious of the three subtypes of
mesothelioma because it does respond nearly as well to
treatment as do the other two histological types,
epithelioid mesothelioma and
biphasic mesothelioma. Because of this,
some mesothelioma specialists go so far as to describe
sarcomatoid mesothelioma as a different clinical entity of
mesothelioma altogether, rather than describe it as only a
subtype of traditional mesothelioma. It is also the rarest
form of the disease, affecting only 10 percent to 20 percent
of
mesothelioma patients. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma
typically affects cells found among connective or supportive
tissues.
Desmoplastic mesothelioma is a rare form of
sarcomatoid mesothelioma. In desmoplastic mesothelioma,
tumors are typically comprised of at least 50 percent
acellular connective tissue – tissue that is not made
up of individual cells. This deadly subtype tends to
metastasize quickly, particularly near the bone. Studies
have shown that patients suffering from sarcomatoid or
desmoplastic mesothelioma often have an average survival
time of only six months from diagnosis.
If a patient has received a
diagnosis of sarcomatoid or desmoplastic mesothelioma, the patient should consult with
his or her physician and oncologist to be certain of the diagnosis
and to discuss what
treatment options are available.
Related Information: Histological Subtypes of Mesothelioma
Related Information: Forms of Mesothelioma
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