Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma can be hard to treat, whether the cancer is resectable or not. It’s very important that you understand the goal of treatment before it starts – whether it is to try to cure the cancer or to help relieve symptoms – as well as the possible benefits and risks. This can help you make an informed decision when looking at your treatment options.

Despite years of research since the disease was first identified, it’s still difficult to identify the best approach to treating the disease, says David Rice, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon and nationally known mesothelioma expert who practices at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX.
The very rareness of the cancer—only about 3,000 people a year are diagnosed in the United States—makes it difficult to run the kind of research studies needed to compare treatments and determine the ideal therapy at each stage of the disease. “There isn’t a lot of evidence-based science in this disease,” Dr. Rice admits. So when his patients ask him what the best treatment is for the disease, he tells them what we tell you in this section, adding that “we don’t have a reliable cure for this disease.”
Thus, a major goal of treatment is to reduce pain and suffering and prolong a patient’s life as long as possible while providing them with the highest quality of life possible.

Choosing the right mesothelioma doctor is an important first step in planning for treatment.

There are a number of mesothelioma experts, like Dr. Rice, practicing in specialized clinics throughout the country. Each of these cancer specialists has an acute knowledge of the behavior and pathology of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma and its treatment. It is likely that if you are diagnosed with mesothelioma, you will be referred by your personal physician to a larger scale comprehensive cancer center.
The most important consideration in mesothelioma treatment is the cancer stage and type, said Dr. Rice. Treatment decisions also depend on whether the cancer is localized to the chest or has spread to the chest wall, diaphragm, or lymph nodes, your age and overall health, and the center where you’re being treated. Learn more about finding a doctor here.
 

Conventional treatments for mesothelioma involve surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy.

As with most solid tumors, doctors turn to surgery, radiation and chemotherapy to manage mesothelioma. When exploring the various treatment options available with your doctor it is important to be informed about the risk and benefits of each one before making a final decision.

The stage (extent) of a mesothelioma is an important factor in determining treatment options. But other factors, such as whether the doctor feels the cancer is resectable (all visible cancer can be removed by surgery), as well as a person’s general health and preferences, also play a role.

Mesothelioma Advice

About  Mesothelioma 

A patient with Mesothelioma usually begins showing symptoms 10 to 50 years after their exposure to asbestos. It is a rare form of cancer almost always caused by exposure to asbestos dust.

It is not uncommon for people to have been diagnosed who have lived near asbestos factories or who have washed their husband’s clothing. You need not have worked with asbestos in order to develop Mesothelioma as it can be caused by only small amounts of exposure. The risk of developing the disease increases depending on how much asbestos dust you have breathed in, the more you have breathed in the more at risk you are of developing the disease. It is estimated that more than up to 3,000 Americans face a mesothelioma diagnosis every year. 

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, many people aren’t even aware that they have it. It is very subtle at the beginning and could go unnoticed. Some people have experience no symptoms at all and this can lead to being left undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for several years. The development of the disease can take between 10 – 40+ years after exposure to asbestos dust.

Mesothelioma victims are affected by the cells that comprise the lining of vital organs such as the lungs, the heart, and the abdomen.  This cancer causes lining cells, known as mesothelioma, to divide at an abnormally fast rate.  This rapid mesothelial cell regeneration leads to the buildup of scar tissue, fluid, and tumors that compromise organ function and can lead to the death of the patient. It is difficult to diagnose and quite often a biopsy needs to be carried out to diagnose mesothelioma. Unlike lung cancer there is no known connection between cigarette smoking and the development of the disease.

  Mesothelioma Causes

Exposure to asbestos is the main cause of mesothelioma. Asbestos is a mineral commonly used as an insulator and binding agent in industrial, commercial, and residential products and equipment. Though the dangers of asbestos exposure and the resulting asbestos-related diseases like asbestosis have been documented for more than a century, products containing asbestos are still on the market in the United States today.
More than 80 percent of mesothelioma and asbestosis patients were exposed to asbestos on the job.  This occupational exposure to asbestos, when industry clearly knew of the dangers associated with the material, has been the basis for thousands of mesothelioma and asbestosis patients .