"Mesothelioma Information"

Mesothelioma is a dreadful disease, which doesn’t have a perfect cure. The affected person will show symptom only after a long period say, 20 years. Each year at least 3000 fresh cases of mesothelioma is being identified in US.

The affected persons are being treated with different drug combinations especially symptomatically.

The drugs used for treating mesothelioma will reduce the number of platelets, which is an important substance in the blood for clotting. The reduction in the number of these cells will lead to profuse bleeding from even minor cuts or grazes.

Other important side effect of mesothelioma chemotherapy includes infertility. Some of the mesothelioma controlling drugs may stop ovulation or induce artificial menopause in the affected women.

The best-known side effect of mesothelioma chemotherapy is hair loss. This solely depends on the quantity of drug you are taking daily. The good news about this side effect is the hair will grow back after treatment has subsided.

In nut shell, the mesothelioma chemotherapy side effects include infertility in both men and women, reduce cells in bone marrow, loss of appeptite, diarrhea, and hair loss. Consult your health care provider if you exhibit any of these symptoms.

Mesothelioma, an asbestos lung cancer is getting its importance owing to the reason of the non-availability of the perfect cure. North of England Cancer Drug Approvals Group have identified a new drug combination to give complete cure.

Clinical trials with Alimta and Cisplatin have shown promising results for the persons with non-small cell lung cancer.

Hitherto, Alimta is the sole drug which will extend the life of the mesothelioma sufferers. Now this drug combination definitely bring back the smile among the mesothelioma sufferers family.

Still scientists are working to get a complete cure for this dreadful disease of mesothelioma.

Source:

“Lung Cancer Patients Get Wonder Drug Alimta“, Evening Chronicle (UK), 16 January 2009

It is also noticed that mesothelioma is not as sensitive to radiation or chemotherapy as many other cancers are. Research news reports the limited success of present treatments for Mesothelioma.

What are the common treatment methods available for mesothelioma? The treatment aspects of mesothelioma include chemotherapy treatments, radiation treatments, surgical treatments and experimental therapies and drugs.

You can have limited  success with the radical surgeries as mesothelioma treatment. The surgical procedure includes extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and pleurectomy.

Extra-Pleural Pneumonectomy (EPP)

In this surgical procedure, usually the entire tumor-affected lung, part of the phrenic nerve, pericardium, diaphragm, and pleura will be removed. This procedure ought to be supported with chemotherapy or radiation. But a study indicates that in EPP at least 15% patients die soon after surgery. Even the chemotherapy has side effects also!

Pleurectomy

This treatment involves the surgical removal of the pleura only without touching the whole lung. The survival rate is high, which is about 50% (22-month survival) and 41% success rate with 24-month survival among a group of survivors.

The common drugs used for treating mesothelioma includes  Endostatin and angiostatin combination and Onconase, Lovastatin combination.

There are three forms of mesothelioma. Among the three forms, pericardial mesothelioma is rarest and also very risky. Nearly 10% of the patients are suffering from pericardial mesothelioma. At present nearly 2000 new cases of mesothelioma is registered yearly. Out of which 200 cases are pericardial mesothelioma.

What is Pericardium?

Pericardium is nothing but the protective sac that surrounds the heart. It contains fluid called pericardial fluid, which provides lubrication as well as prevents shock caused by any external impact. Pericardium helps the heart to beat properly.

It is really obscure how the asbestos particles lodged into pericardium.   

Symptoms

Although the symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma is similar to other mesothelioma forms, it is difficult for the health care provider to diagnose. The main differential diagnosis of this form of mesothelioma from other forms is heart palpitations. Some of the pericardial mesothelioma suffers may exhibit symptoms like cough, fever, and dyspnea (Difficult in breathing).

Treatment 

If the symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma is exhibited, the cancer might have progressed to advance stage. It is not all possible to treat conventionally other than providing temporary relief of symptoms.

 Prognosis

Prognosis is poor and the patient will usually die within six months of onset of pericardial mesothelioma. This is mainly due to the fact that diagnosis in early stage is really impossible in case of pericardial mesothelioma.

Heat Therapy 

As we discussed earlier, heating the chemotherapeutic substances (intereferon and  interleukin-2) before they are injected produces good results among the malignant mesothelioma sufferers. These heated chemicals are more potent than ordinary ones. These chemicals kill the tumor cells very effectively. This new mesothelioma treatment is also known as chemo hyperthermia.

Gene Therapy

This is really a big key in future studies of mesothelioma. In this therapy, the genes involved in the tumor will be manipulated into a virus, such as the common cold, and then using your own immune system or antiviral drugs to destroy the cells. Still studies are being perormed on this therapy to find out perfect results. But the early stages of malignant mesothelioma is being controlled efectively by this method.

Photodynamic Therapy

This is another type of new mesothelioma treatment being tested in various studies. In this therapy, light sensitive molecules will be injecting in the pleural space before surgery. While doing surgery, light will be focussed directly on the molecules, thus killing tumor cells. Although there is no improved survival rate with this method, still clinical trials are being performed to get positive results.

Although there are numerous new treatments for mesothelioma are available, still various clinical trials are being performed to get perfect results. Clinical trials are the perfect solution for finding perfect cure for the mesothelioma sufferers. That’s why US government is pumping money like anything for the mesothelioma clinical trials.

Mesothelioma, as you know very well, it is not easily curable disease. as the symptoms of the mesothelioma is noticed only afer 15-20 years of exposure, it is really difficult to diagnose the disease in early stage.

Initially researchers try different treatment protocols like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. But permanent cure is not at all possible.

Immunotherapy

This is an innovative treatment being tested with the patients suffering from mesothelioma. Immunotherapy make use of the individuals immune system to fight against mesothelioma. This therapy helps to make use of substances present in the immune system to fight the mesothelioma. Make use of the substances found in the immune system to give tough fight to the tumor cells.

Interferon and interleukin-2 are the two common substances, which are being used widely to prevent the growth of tumor cells. recent study confirms that heating these substances prior to injection helps to kill the tumor cells. But clinical trials and those with malignant mesothelioma have not responded well to immunotherapy.

One out of ten Australian carpenters born prior to 1950 will die of mesothelioma or any other asbestos-related cancer. This was confirmed by a British study.

Nearly 30,000 Australians will lost their life between 2000 and 2050. The main reason for this death is use of asbestos cement sheeting and roofing, which were cut with power saws. Cutting the materials with power saw releases asbestos fibers into the air, which in turn provoke the asbestos related cancer- the mesothelioma. They worked without any respiratory protection.

In addition to this, the scientists predicted that the rate of death among the US carpenters would be this much high owing to the reasons that they’re following different construction methods and materials.

For the full story, go to the Wollondilly Advertiser.

Mesothelioma symptoms tend to develop gradually, and earlier symptoms are often confused for illnesses that are more amenable to treatment.

Common symptoms like chest pain, difficult in breathing and cough is usually confused with pneumonia and common cold. Hence it is always advisable to get a physician’s opinion before proceeding further. It is common for the early mesothelioma symptoms to often be ignored or mistaken for some minor ailments

However, mesothelioma has a latency of up to thirty-forty years, and many individuals previously exposed to asbestos are now displaying symptoms. Hence this is really a difficult condition to get cured once it is identified…

Mesothelioma advanced symptoms are prevailing only in the last stage. Hence it is difficult to cure this condition. It is always advisable to seek an opinion of a mesothelioma lawyer to get compensation either for treatment or livelihood.

Union carbide and Dupoint have been sued in a lawsuit by a housewife- Frances Barras, Nederland. She claimed that she washed her Hubby’s clothes from 1957 to 1985, which resulted her- Mesothelioma, the dreadful lung disease.

His husband worked at Beaumont DuPont refinery for nearly 20 decades and carried asbestos fibers daily on his clothes.

Barras was diagnosed with mesothelioma and immediately filed a lawsuit against this firm. She proclaimed that the asbestos fibers in her husbands clothes made her to suffer from mesothelioma after inhalation of asbestos fibers.

Mrs. Barras is claiming $30 million for her damages due to asbestos fibers.

End-of-life treatment is the primary concern for each and every mesothelioma sufferers. Some of the patients prefer aggressive treatment whereas others opt to enter hospice care. Nigel Phillips of UK elected a novel therapy for his ailment. He arranged a perfect gathering for family and friends before his death.

Nigel Phillips, 61 year old man was recently confirmed that he was suffering from Mesothelioma. He worked in the dock for 20 years. Once he received the news of mesothelioma on him, he organized a small get-together with his friends. A fellow-dockworker spread the news of his suffering and friends gathering. A small get-together had turned up into a group of more than 100 friends, coworkers and colleagues who came to pay Nigel respect.

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