Understanding Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma treatment relates relieving or curing the deadly disease called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is serious disease that affects the lining of lungs, abdominal organs or heart. Mesothelioma can be of two types, either benign or malignant. Mesothelioma treatment, for an individual suffering from benign mesothelioma, is surgery. However, in case of malignant mesothelioma scientists could not find any established mesothelioma treatment to cure the patient fully.

Types of Mesothelioma Treatment
Mesothelioma treatment options available today are radiation, chemotherapy, radical surgery and/or combination of all these treatments. During surgery, either a part of tumor or the whole tumor is removed. In some cases, a portion of the normal tissue surrounding the area is also removed along with the tumor.

Mesothelioma treatment, in which the doctors try to cure the patient with drugs, is known as chemotherapy. As the mesothelioma cancer is a rare disease, very little information is available regarding the effects of different drugs on different patients. Adriamycm, (doxorubicin), Cytoxan, (cyclophosphamide), 5-fluorouracil and 5-azacytidine are some of the drugs that have shown good results and a response rate of 0 to 35 % when tried on mesothelioma patients. Some other effective drugs for mesothelioma treatment are cisplatin, high dose methotrexate, interferon, anthracycline analogues and vinblastine. The National Cancer Institute is sponsoring further studies the effectiveness of these and other drugs by funding many clinical centers.

Radiation is another option of mesothelioma treatment that is more helpful in reducing the pain rather than curing the disease itself. Because of the severity of the disease, standard dose of 6,000 rads of radiation has very little effect on mesothelioma patients. In limited cases, some benefit is observed when patient is treated with aggressive high dose radiation. Use of radioactive compounds on diseased tissue has also shown some positive results with the individuals diagnosed early on. Patients of pleural mesothelioma survived for over 24 months when radioactive colloidal gold (Au 198) was placed between the two pleural membranes. Scientists are hopeful that radioactive chromic phosphate, p32 can be used as an effective mesothelioma treatment. This might increase the survival period of patients suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma.

Like the treatment of other cancers, mesothelioma treatment also has its side effects. Nausea and vomiting are some minor problems associated with radiation therapy and chemotherapy that could be controlled with medicines. However, suppression of bone marrow is a serious short-term side effect that may cause WBC, RBC and platelets counts to go down. Such patients may become susceptible to bleeding and infection and may require antibiotic therapy or any other supportive care.

Mesothelioma treatment can be a very expensive and lengthy procedure. However, the patients suffering from mesothelioma cancers can seek compensation for mesothelioma treatments. They can file lawsuits against the individuals or organizations responsible for causing asbestos exposure.

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Mesothelioma Statistics - An Eye-opener

What are Mesothelioma Statistics?

Mesothelioma statistics are data about mesothelioma – a dangerous cancer that affects the lining of the lungs and the abdomen. In some cases, mesothelioma can affect the heart and reproductive organs too. It is a fatal disease with patients surviving for only one-two years after the diagnosis.

What have Mesothelioma Statistics Revealed?

Mesothelioma statistics have revealed that nearly seventy to eighty per cent of all cases of mesothelioma have been directly traced to prolonged exposure to asbestos. Asbestos was a frequently used material in construction, railroad, factory, shipyard and automobile industries. Mesothelioma statistics were able to highlight the link between asbestos and cancer nearly sixty years ago. However, unscrupulous industries have chosen to continue using asbestos for profit motives.

Mesothelioma statistics also portray mesothelioma to be a silent killer. This is because the disease lies dormant in the body for periods between ten to fifty years. It is usually diagnosed in patients when they are between fifty and seventy years of age. Normally the diagnosis of mesothelioma is only after the case has reached the last stage and there is very little hope for the survival of the patient.

Mesothelioma Statistics Related to Mesothelioma Treatment:

The sad reality is that mesothelioma has no cure. According to mesothelioma statistics, after diagnosis, the average survival rate is only 12-24 months. Even with early detection and treatment, the survival rate can be stretched out to five years. Mesothelioma treatments are very expensive and usually range – between four hundred thousand and eight hundred thousand dollars. This is the reason why most of the mesothelioma patients have to file lawsuits to recover medical and other costs related to this killer disease.

Is There Anything That Mesothelioma Statistics Is Not Able To Reveal?

Mesothelioma statistics reveal only the numbers of patients who have already been diagnosed with mesothelioma. This number is between two to three thousand new cases every year. However, mesothelioma statistics is not able to reveal or predict the numbers of people who continue to slowly develop the cancer inside them. There is no statistical data to provide the probable number of mesothelioma patients in the coming future.

How Can Mesothelioma Statistics Be Helpful?

Government regulations make mesothelioma patients eligible for compensation. Mesothelioma statistics can help in providing valuable information about the disease for compensation claims and lawsuits. Moreover, mesothelioma statistics can also help the mesothelioma victims and attorneys to gather valuable information for supporting their compensation claims.

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Mesothelioma – Your Basic Information

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is becoming more and more common. The most common cause of this cancer is exposure to asbestos. When constantly exposed with insufficient protection, asbestos dust and fibres affect the mesothelial cells which make up the mesothelium. The mesothelium is the outer lining that protects some of the body’s most vital organs such as the heart and lungs. The mesothelial cells become abnormal after lengthy periods of constant exposure to asbestos causing an array of problems.

Due to the latency period and symptoms of this cancer, mesothelioma is very difficult to diagnose. Mesothelioma takes decades to mature and develop fully and this is why many elderly men who were exposed to asbestos thirty years before are just discovering they have the cancer. A lot of these men are currently lodging multi-million dollar lawsuits against the companies that exposed them to the dangers of asbestos without sufficient protection.

The organs that are affected most by mesothelioma are the lungs. The most common type of mesothelioma which is called pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of the lungs and can cause symptoms such as coughing, breathing and swallowing difficulties, shortness of breath and fever. Another area that can be affected by mesothelioma is the abdomen. This is less common and this is known as peritoneal mesothelioma. Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include nausea and vomiting, weight loss, fever, bowel obstruction, loss of appetite and general pain in the stomach area. The last and least common type of mesothelioma is known as pericardial mesothelioma and it affects the heart and the tissue surrounding it. Symptoms of this form of the cancer include palpitations, breathing difficulties and persistent coughing. Generally, the symptoms of mesothelioma are typical of many other diseases and this makes it very difficult to diagnose.

There are treatments for mesothelioma although these are usually unsuccessful. If the cancer is treated aggressively in its early stages then there is a good chance of a patient surviving. However, due to the difficulty to diagnose mesothelioma, the cancer is not normally found until it is too late. Treatments that are used for mesothelioma include surgery, radiation therapy, palliative therapy and chemotherapy. Research for additional treatment of mesothelioma is being done at various cancer centers all over the United States as well as by pharmaceutical companies. For more information on the treatment of mesothelioma go to http://www.1-mesothelioma.co.uk/treatment.html

William Johnston

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Mesothelioma: Symptoms of Mesothelioma Cancer

There are various symptoms of Mesothelioma cancer, but sometimes they don't appear until 30 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos, hence the importance of following the series of recommendations for prevention of asbestos-related diseases among asbestos workers.

The most common Mesothelioma symptoms are shortness of breath and pain in the chest. These symptoms occur due to a buildup of fluid in the pleura, what is known as Pleural Mesothelioma. However the symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma include weight loss, abdominal pain and swelling due to an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.

Peritoneal mesothelioma may include other uncomfortable symptoms too, such as bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia and fever.

However these symptoms can appear before if malignant cancerous cells have spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, and other symptoms such as trouble swallowing, pain, and swelling of the neck or face may appear.

Mesothelioma or other less serious conditions may caused these symptoms, therefore the importance of going to a doctor if you feel any of these symptoms, because only an expert like him can make a correct diagnosis.

Mesothelioma cancer rate has increased over the past 20 years and although this disease is not as common as other cancer pathologies, the number of new diagnosed cases in the United States has risen up to 2,000 per year.

According to experts the major risk factor for developing Mesothelioma lies in working with asbestos, so if you are a asbestos worker remember following the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommendations in order to reduce your risk.

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