Cell Types of Mesothelioma
A patient’s doctor or medical records may refer to the “cell type” of the malignant mesothelioma. This refers to the type of tissue where the cancer first developed. For example, “epithelial” malignant mesothelioma refers to cancerous cells that develop in the “epithelium,” which is the membrane lining of the lung, heart, or abdomen. In contrast, “sarcomatous” malignant mesothelioma arises in connective tissue. “Biphasic” refers to malignant mesothelioma that arises in two different cell types. Other cell types of malignant mesothelioma are lymphohistiocytoid and desmoplastic.
Epithelioid mesothelioma is the most common cell type, and accounts for approximately 50 to 70 percent of all malignant mesothelioma cases,
Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is the least common type of cancer cell and makes up approximately 10 to 15 percent of malignant mesothelioma cases.
