Treatment for mesothelioma

Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the tumor, stage of disease and patient 's age and general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.

The surgery is a treatment for mesothelioma.
The doctor mayremove a section of the wall of the chest or abdomen and some tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes, part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also deleted.

Radiation therapy
Also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and reduce tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells in the treated area. Radiation may come from a machine (external radiation) or to materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes in the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).

Chemotherapy
is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells in the body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given by injection into a vein (intravenously or IV). Doctors are also studying the effectiveness of putting chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy).

To relieve symptoms and control pain, the doctor in may using a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has accumulated in the chest or abdomen. The procedure for the removal of the breast fluid is called thoracentesis. Withdrawal of fluid in the abdomen is called paracentesis. Drugs may be given through a tube in his chest to prevent the accumulation of fluid. Radiotherapy and surgery in also useful in relieving symptoms.

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Mesothelioma Lawsuit

A mesothelioma lawsuit is filed by a victim of mesothelioma, in order to recover damages related to its development of this cancer associated with asbestos. A case of mesothelioma can help a victim seek compensation for medical expenses, lost earnings and pain and suffering. Mesothelioma is almost exclusively as a result of toxic exposure to asbestos. The disease can remain dormant in a victim for a period of up to forty years, so that people who were exposed to asbestos in the environment in the 1950s may still be at risk of developing the disease.

Who is at risk?
Asbestos has been used for over 5000 products in the last hundred years. Asbestos is a natural mineral that is used to make products such as brakes of vehicles and building materials. Asbestos is added to these products as aid in the heat and corrosion resistance. The deadly effects of asbestos have been known for over sixty years, although still used in a variety of industries. People in the construction, automotive, factories, railways, shipyards, industries and custody may be at risk for serious health consequences resulting from toxic exposure to asbestos.

More common in men
Mesothelioma affects men three to five times as often as it affects women. It is diagnosed in patients at a mean age of 50 to 70 years. Once diagnosed, mesothelioma is fatal. The average survival time after diagnosis is only one year, because the cancer is usually in its advanced stages by the time they were discovered. For people who are diagnosed earlier, about half survive for two years and twenty percent to five years.

Why file a mesothelioma lawsuit?
A mesothelioma claim can be filed within the legal system in order to obtain compensation for medical expenses, lost earnings and pain and suffering associated with the development of this disease. Employers and Manufacturers of products containing asbestos can be held liable for injuries that develop as a result, especially when they are aware of the risks associated with the level of exposure that has caused or permitted. Contact a lawyer is often the first step in discovering what their legal rights and options could be in a lawsuit mesothelioma.

http://www.asbestosnews.com/html/lawsuit.html

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Living with malignant mesothelioma

Any type of cancer is not only a physical illness. People with cancer often suffer from depression and anxiety, have low self-esteem and feelings of guilt and the struggle with helplessness and fear. A diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma may feel like a death sentence. It is also very difficult for family members and friends, who feel their own pain and fear about the disease. Often family members who are involved in financial decisions and care are not willing to do. You may have to give up their jobs or time with his family to accompany the sick person to the hospital and visits to the doctor or to provide support and care at home. These are additional stress factors for family members. Although the feelings of stress, anxiety, pain and depression are normal, should not be ignored.

Good guidance, whether a therapist, a social worker, clergy, or a nurse or other health professional with experience in coping with cancer, help patients and their families. Many communities have support groups for cancer. Hospice care is usually available and can be very useful not only in relation to pain, but to help the patient and family to say goodbye. If depression or anxiety are important in connection with the drug may be necessary. Feelings of suicide should be discussed with a doctor immediately.

Patients can also make self-care and read books on how to deal with cancer available in the local library. There are many mesothelioma support groups on the Internet. Since malignant mesothelioma is a disease, some patients can have friends who have a disease related to asbestos that can be discussed with. Having a long-term task of any kind can keep people motivated and interested in life.

End of life financial planning should be done. This can be particularly difficult and painful project to find a financial planner who is experienced in working with patients is important. Dealing with issues of money and disease, while fractures and can cause problems between family members no matter how deeply the attention for each other, so having a good support system is invaluable for all.

Malignant mesothelioma, because it is caused by exposure to asbestos, which differs from other types of cancer. People with mesothelioma have the option to file lawsuits for personal injury. An application can be a difficult process for a sick person, but the money can alleviate some of the settlement costs of medical treatment and care, and the filing of a lawsuit often gives people a sense that they are doing something to care for themselves or their families when we feel powerless.

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Malignant mesothelioma

A malignant tumor of the mesothelium is called malignant mesothelioma, however, malignant mesothelioma is often simply called mesothelioma.

Malignant mesothelioma is divided into 3 main types:
* Epitelioide (50% to 70% are of this type) - this guy has the best prospects for survival
* Sarcomatoid (7% and 20% are of this type)
* Mixed / biphasic (20% to 35% are of this type)

Treatment options are the same for all 3 types.
Approximately 75% of mesothelioma begin in the thoracic cranial cavity. They are known as pleural mesothelioma. Another 10% to 20% starting in the abdomen. These are called peritoneal mesothelioma. Pericardial mesothelioma starts in the cranial cavity around the heart and is very rare. The layer covering the testes in a outpouching currently PERITONEUM in SCROTUM. Mesothelioma that affects the extent of the testicles can occur but are rare.

It is important not to be confused with malignant mesothelioma benign tumors that begin in the mesothelium. The mesothelium of some male and female reproductive organs can develop a type of benign tumor called an adenomatoid tumor. In men, this cancerous tumor often starts in EPIDIDYMIS (a small cluster of pipelines transporting sperm from the testicles). In women, this tumor may begin in the Fallopian tubes (the tubes that carry eggs from the ovaries to the uterus or womb). Another non-cancer tumor that may begin in the mesothelium, the female reproductive organs is called benign cystic mesothelioma.

A type of benign tumor is called benign fibrous mesothelioma may lie in the pleura surrounding the lungs. Doctors now know that this tumor actually starts from tissue under the mesothelium, and not from mesothelial cells. For this reason, the new name for this tumor is the sole fibrous tumor of the pleura. The disease is usually not cancer, but the cancer can occur. The same illness from PERITONEUM called solitary fibrous tumor in PERITONEUM. The tumors described here are usually removed by surgery, and there is no need for further treatment. Malignant mesothelioma is discussed later in this document.

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Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma develops in the lining of the lungs. This lining is called the pleura, or pleural membrane, and it is made up of mesothelial cells. This pleural membrane consists of two layers - the parietal layer, and the visceral layer. The parietal layer is an outer layer that lines the entire chest cavity and diaphragm, while the visceral layer is an inner layer that covers the lungs. Together, these two layers provide support and protection for the lungs and the chest cavity.

Asbestos Cause Pleural Mesothelioma

The method by which asbestos causes pleural mesothelioma is much better understood than for other types of mesothelioma. In cases of pleural mesothelioma, asbestos exposure occurs via inhalation of asbestos fibers. Once these fibers have entered the lungs, they work their way to the pleural membrane, and the body experiences great difficulty in expelling these fibers. Over a long period of time - typically two decades or more - asbestos fibers cause changes in these pleural cells, which may cause scarring of the lungs and, eventually, the formation of tumors. When pleural cells become cancerous, they are no longer regulated by the mechanisms that control division of normal healthy cells. They begin to divide continuously, and this causes thickening of pleural membranes. As a result, lung capacity is reduced, and fluid begins to build up between pleural layers.

Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma

• Persistent dry or raspy cough
• Coughing up blood (hemoptysis)
• Difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia)
• Shortness of breath that occurs even when at rest (dyspnea)
• Persistent pain in the chest or rib area, or painful breathing
• Development of lumps under the skin on the chest
• Night sweats or fever
• Unexplained weight loss
• Fatigue

Diagnosis

X-rays or CT-Scans are often used to diagnose pleural mesothelioma.
Pleural mesothelioma diagnosis is made partly on the basis of symptoms, but because symptoms are non-specific, additional diagnostic tests are needed to confirm the presence of cancer. Following a medical history review and physical examination, patients must typically undergo imaging tests to confirm the location of cancer, and fluid and tissue tests to confirm the type of cancer involved.

Treatment
In general, pleural mesothelioma patients have three options: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Typically, patients will receive a combination of two or more of these types of treatment.

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Types of Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma – affects the chest and lungs

Pleural mesothelioma is not always easily detectable. Frequently, in the early stages of the disease, symptoms may be mild. Patients usually report pain in one area of the chest that never seems to go away, weight loss and fever. Occasionally, other symptoms are more severe and include problems with breathing due to fluid build up in the chest. A CT Scan of the chest area has proven to be the best test for identifying how far along the disease has progressed.

Frequently serum markers are used to diagnose of various forms of cancer. Mesothelioma cannot be diagnosed using this method as no serum markers currently exist. If high levels of hyaluronic acid are present it may be possible to distinguish mesothelioma from other types of cancer or to determine the effectiveness of a treatment protocol.

The survival rate for patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma typically is not high. Patients typically do not live beyond seventeen months from the onset of symptoms. Only 8% of those diagnosed with mesothelioma will live three to five years from the onset of symptoms.

Pericardial Mesothelioma – affects the heart

Pericardial mesothelioma is the least common form of mesothelioma. Pericardial mesothelioma, as the name suggests, involves the heart. This rare type of mesothelioma invades the pericardium, the sac that surrounds the heart. As the cancer progresses, the heart is not able to deliver oxygen as efficiently to the body causing further decline in health at an increasingly rapid rate. The symptoms most commonly associated with pericardial mesothelioma mimic those of a heart attack: nausea, pain in the chest and shortness of breath.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma – affects the abdomen

Peritoneal mesothelioma originates in the abdomen and will frequently spread to other organs in area including the liver, spleen or bowel. Severe abdominal pain is the most common complaint that patients present to their doctor. There may also be a discomfort level with fluid build up in the abdomen as well. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include difficult bowel movements, nausea and vomiting, fever and swollen feet.

The survival rate is even worse for those diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma will patients typically surviving only ten months from time that they first started experiencing the symptoms noted above.

Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer and of all asbestos related diseases, the most serious. The symptoms associated with the disease make it difficult for doctors to diagnose. Often, by the time that a proper diagnosis is made, the disease has progressed to a point where patients do not respond well to treatment therapy. Malignant mesothelioma is caused almost exclusively by the inhalation of airborne asbestos particles. Another unique factor associated with the disease is that there can be a long latency period between the time an individual is exposed to asbestos and the actual manifestation of the disease in the form of malignant mesothelioma.

Benign Mesothelioma – affects the peritoneum

Cystic mesothelioma primarily affects women of younger age and affects the peritoneum. This type of mesothelioma is not frequently diagnosed and is also not a malignant form of the disease. It is, however, extremely difficult to identify and requires specialized microscopes and immunologic techniques to aid in diagnosis.

Mesothelioma in Uncommon Sites

A form of cardiac cancer that is rarely seen involves the pericardium. Tumors associated with this type of mesothelioma are not easily detectable and patients presented with this diagnosis tend to have a very low survival rate. There have also been reports of mesothelioma involving ovaries in women and the scrotum in men. Treatment for all of these rare forms of mesothelioma will vary depending on what stage a patient has progressed to but in most all cases the projected outcome is not favorable.

http://www.mesothelioma.com/

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Mesothelioma Diagnosis

A review of the patient's medical history is an important part in assessing the risk of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma's symptoms are not unique to it and the disease's relative rarity, so cases of mesothelioma misdiagnosed are not uncommon.

As a first step in diagnosing the disease, the doctor may order an x-ray of the chest or abdomen or a CT (or CAT) scan or MRI may be performed. Although mesothelioma typically cannot be seen on an x-ray, the tumor often causes a pleural effusion, or fluid collection between the lung and chest wall. This abnormal finding is associated with shortness of breath and warrants clinical follow up. Lung function tests may also be completed.

The doctor may look inside the chest cavity with a special instrument called a thoracoscope. A cut will be made through the chest wall and the thoracoscope will be put into the chest between two ribs. This test, called thoracoscopy, is usually done in the hospital. Before the test, the patient will be given a local anesthetic (a drug that causes a loss of feeling for a short period of time). Some pressure may be felt, but usually there is no pain.

The doctor may also look inside the abdomen (peritoneoscopy) with a special tool called a peritoneoscope. The peritoneoscope is put into an opening made in the abdomen. This test is also usually done in the hospital. Before the test is done, a local anesthetic will be given.
If tissue that is not normal is found, the doctor will need to cut out a small piece and have it reviewed under a microscope to see if there are any cancer cells. This is called a biopsy. Biopsies are usually done during the thoracoscopy or peritoneoscopy.

Diagnosing mesothelioma is very difficult, and cases of mesothelioma misdiagnosed are unfortunately not uncommon. It is important to share your case history of work experience (especially in shipyards and at construction sites) and asbestos exposure potential with your physicians if you feel mesothelioma is a risk. Asbestos fibres can also be carried into the home on clothing, inadvertently exposing the deadly fibres, and the risk of mesothelioma, to family members.

A mesothelioma diagnosis is serious, but treatments are available. The chance of recovery (prognosis) depends on the size of the cancer, where the cancer is, how far the cancer has spread, how the cancer cells look under the microscope, how the cancer responds to treatment, and the patient's age. As with most types of cancer, early diagnosis is an excellent first step in fighting the disease.

http://www.mesotheliomacenter.org/

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Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity), the heart, the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart) or tunica vaginalis.

The mesothelium that covers the internal organs is called the visceral mesothelium, while the layer that covers the body wall is called parietal mesothelium.

Mesothelium tissue also surrounds the male internal reproductive organs and covers the internal reproductive organs in women.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of this mesothelium, in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide uncontrollably and without order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the thoracic cavity (pleura) or the abdominal cavity (peritoneum).

Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States, comprising around 3 percent of all cancer diagnoses. This cancer occurs more frequently in men than in women, about four times more frequent. All forms of mesothelioma, except for benign mesothelioma, are invariably fatal. The prognosis for mesothelioma is almost always poor and most studies report a median survival of less than one year, but the prognosis really depends on how early it is diagnosed and aggressively it is treated.

Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust and fiber in other ways. Washing the clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos can also put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma.

Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and smoking. Compensation via asbestos funds or lawsuits is an important issue in mesothelioma (see asbestos and the law).

The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion (fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and general symptoms such as weight loss.

The diagnosis may be suspected with chest X-ray and CT scan, and is confirmed with a biopsy (tissue sample) and microscopic examination. A thoracoscopy (inserting a tube with a camera into the chest) can be used to take biopsies. It allows the introduction of substances such as talc to obliterate the pleural space (called pleurodesis), which prevents more fluid from accumulating and pressing on the lung.

Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research about screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesothelioma

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