Mesothelioma is a type of cancer involving mesothelial tissues of body organsusually lungs or abdominal. It is often caused by exposure to asbestos. However, there are 30-50% of patients without any history of
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asbestos exposure. People who have received asbestos exposure of as little as one or two months to very low doses are at risk of mesothelioma cancer. Even people who wash clothes of asbestos exposed people are at risk. A person exposed to asbestos could develop mesothelioma after 50 years of exposure.People in the occupations such as construction jobs in shipyards, insulators, boilermakers, etc. are at the risk of contracting asbestos disease.The 2 common types of mesothelioma are:Pleural mesothelioma (lung cancer) and Peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen organs).The survival time for a patient with diffuse malignant mesothelioma is from 4 to 24 months from the observance of the symptoms. Mesothelioma is also difficult to diagnose.The chance of recovery for a patient with mesothelioma depends on size and location of the cancer, age of the patient and his response to the treatment.
Mesothelioma Treatment
A diagnosis of mesothelioma is always difficult, whether it is pleural mesothelioma or another variety. Because this is such an aggressive and stubborn form of cancer, patients and their families may have a difficult time addressing the issue of treatment, but because options for mesothelioma patients are steadily increasing, the discussion of treatment is quite important, even if all hope seems lost.Each mesothelioma case is considered individually and there is no right or wrong treatment for the disease. What's best for you or your loved one will depend on a number of factors. Diagnostic tools such as x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and biopsies will be used to determine these factors and these tests will assist the doctor and/or oncologist in determining the best treatment for the patient in question.
What are the Options?
Cancer treatment usually focuses upon destroying malignant cells and preserving healthy ones. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. At present, mesothelioma patients are faced with three major options for treatment of their disease - surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. What course of treatment is recommended will largely depend on these issues
Surgery
Surgery can be performed on mesothelioma patients for one of two reasons: in an attempt to cure the disease or for palliative reasons in order to keep the patient more comfortable and improve the quality of life. Unfortunately, because mesothelioma is almost always diagnosed in its late stages, curative surgery is not usually an option.As tests are developed that may help to diagnose mesothelioma at an earlier stage, surgery may become more of an option in the future. At that point, doctors may be able to attempt to remove the cancer and some of the surrounding tissue in an attempt to stabilize the disease.More often, however, surgery is used as a palliative measure. For example, doctors may opt for a surgery called a pleurodesis, which involves injecting talc into the lungs to prevent fluid from returning. A thoracentesis, a surgical procedure that removes fluid from the lungs by means of a thin needle, may also be recommended.In severe cases, a pleurectomy may be recommended for palliative purposes. This involves removing the pleura - the lining of the lung - and can control fluid build-up and lessen pain and breathing difficulties.
Radiation Therapy
If a patients health is too fragile for surgery or chemotherapy, radiation is often recommended. Radiation causes the fewest side effects and is usually easier to tolerate than chemo. There are a few different forms of radiation therapy available to meso patients:
External beam radiation - the preferred type to treat mesothelioma, this type of radiation comes from a machine outside the body and is aimed toward affected areas. Usually administered 5-days-a-week for up to 5 weeks, this type of radiation is often used for palliative purposes - to lessen breathing difficulties, pain, bleeding, or difficulty swallowing - but seldom has much of an effect on the mesothelioma tumors. This type of radiation may also be used in addition to surgery.
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Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are the study of promising new treatments for a particular disease. These trials are constantly in need of patients who are willing to try these experimental treatments before they are approved by the FDA. Patients should speak to their doctors about current clinical trials available to them and if they might qualify to be a part of a particular study. Those opting to participate in a clinical trial should carefully weigh the pros and cons before agreeing to participate.
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_4X_Chemotherapy_29.asp?rnav=cri
American Cancer Society: Detailed Guide: Malignant Mesothelioma Radiation Therapy
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_4X_Radiation_Therapy_29.asp?rnav=cri
American Cancer Society: Detailed Guide: Malignant Mesothelioma Surgery
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_4X_Radiation_Therapy_29.asp?rnav=cri
Catalano, A., et al. "Experimental Therapy of Malignant Mesothelioma: New Perspectives from Ant-Angiogenic Treatments" Pub Med. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. 2004 May;(2):101-9.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15157659&dopt=Abstract
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