National Mesothelioma Lawyers for more than 25 years

Helping mesothelioma families for more than 25 years
Pioneers in asbestos law and mesothelioma litigation
Hundreds of millions of dollars recovered for clients
Trials in over 100 asbestos and mesothelioma lawsuits
Some of the largest mesothelioma verdicts in the USA
Individual approach & attention to every case we take
Contingent fee - we get paid when our clients get paid

Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Peritoneal mesothelioma is the form of mesothelioma cancer that develops in the peritoneum, a serous membrane lining the abdominal cavity. Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for approximately 20% of all mesothelioma cases diagnosed in the United States.

When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they enter the deep recesses of the lung. Some asbestos fibers remain in the lung tissue (lung parenchyma) where they can cause scarring (asbestosis) or primary lung cancer. However, some fibers may move from the lung to other areas of the body, including the peritoneum, and cause peritoneal mesothelioma.

The peritoneum supports the abdominal organs and assists in blood flow and with the lymph system. The peritoneum consists of two layers: the parietal peritoneum and visceral peritoneum. In a healthy person, a fluid known as "serous" fluid allows these two layers of the peritoneum to slide freely and facilitate abdominal functions including digestion.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is often characterized by excessive fluid-build up in the abdomen. Also, the tumor itself is commonly spread out in "sheets" on the peritoneal surface. A person with advanced peritoneal mesothelioma may visibly appear to have a distended stomach.

All types of mesothelioma are caused by asbestos exposure, including peritoneal mesothelioma. Studies have shown that short thin asbestos fibers, particularly the chrysotile variety are most prevalent in cases of mesothelioma of the peritoneum.

Mesothelioma surgeons have performed different types of surgeries on patients with peritoneal mesothelioma. One of the most common types of surgery for abdominal mesothelioma is a surgical debulking followed by post-surgical intraperitoneal chemotherapy. With this procedure, a heated chemotherapy agent is directly administered into the peritoneal space immediately after the debulking portion of the surgery¹. This new approach to treating peritoneal mesothelioma is also referred to as cytoreductive surgery (debulking) plus perioperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Hundreds of patients have now undergone this procedure and results have been reported by the National Cancer Institute (USA), The Washington Cancer Institute (USA), The Columbia University Mesothelioma Center (USA), and the National Cancer Institute (Italy).

ATTENTION: Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma has no known cure and often causes severe pain, suffering, and other types of damage, such as loss of consortium, and loss of income. Additionally, due to the exceedingly high cost of mesothelioma treatments, many families exhaust savings and accumulate financial debt in order to pay for the medical expenses of their family member.

Under the law of most states, pain and suffering from malignant peritoneal mesothelioma may be compensated through the award of money damages, usually obtained with the help of experienced mesothelioma lawyers. In some states other types of damages may also be recovered.

Asbestos litigation affords mesothelioma victims the opportunity to receive financial compensation and hold accountable the companies that caused their asbestos exposure.

IMPORTANT: If you or your family member has been diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, you should get in touch with a mesothelioma lawyer as early as possible to determine if you have a mesothelioma case and to:

Preserve your rights to bring a legal action against the responsible parties within the limited time frame allowed by law, known as statute of limitations;
Obtain maximum compensation in your case by being able to:
- Preserve evidence and establish facts of the asbestos exposure while the claimant is still alive and able to provide information;
- File and resolve a lawsuit against the responsible parties before they file for bankruptcy or, if they already have, to obtain compensation before their bankruptcy trust funds run out of money;
Expedite your case, as courts tend to give higher priority to peritoneal mesothelioma lawsuits where the claimant is still alive.

Find out whether you have a case by speaking to one of our experienced mesothelioma attorneys via our 24/7 toll-free hotline at 1-800-MESOLAW (1-800-637-6529) or by submitting an email inquiry (see form above). Our attorneys will be quick to respond to you and happy to answer all of your questions.

NOTE: While our offices are located in the states of New York, New Jersey, and California, many of our mesothelioma lawyers are licensed to practice law in a number of U.S. states and have the capability and extensive experience of representing mesothelioma clients throughout the United States. You are encouraged to contact us with any questions.

¹Feldman et al., Analysis of Factors Associated with Outcome in Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma Undergoing Surgical Debulking and Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 21, Issue 24, 2003

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