Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the tissue (membrane) that covers and helps lubricate your abdominal organs. This tissue also helps keep your abdominal organs in place. Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for 10 to 20 percent of new mesothelioma cases diagnosed in the United States each year.

In most cases, experts are still not sure why people develop peritoneal mesothelioma. Asbestos and radiation exposure are risk factors. So is having chronic peritoneal inflammation. However, most people have no risk factors.

Because peritoneal mesothelioma is rare, it sometimes goes undiagnosed for long stretches of time. If your doctor suspects that you have the disease, its best to meet with one of our mesothelioma specialists, who are experienced in diagnosing and treating this condition.

He or she will examine you and work with an MSK pathologist with expertise in identifying mesothelioma cells and determining which subtype you may have.

The major subtypes of peritoneal mesothelioma are:

Once your treatment team has identified your subtype, we can prescribe a treatment plan customized for you. For example, within the epithelial subtype alone, there are varying grades of disease. And if you have the subtype known as well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma, you may need limited treatment, such as monitoring with a radiology test.

Learn more about how we customize a treatment plan for you.

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Mesothelioma | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center