Comprehensive Combination
Mesothelioma can be malignant that is difficult to diagnose because of the symptoms and pathology of diseases similar to other respiratory conditions. For this reason, misdiagnosis in mesothelioma patients is very common. Symptoms of mesothelioma include chest pain, chronic cough, effusion of the chest and abdomen, and the presence of blood in the lung fluid.
Diagnostic surgery including a biopsy will usually be necessary to determine the type of malignant cells seen in the body. Normally a body imaging scan, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or topographic computer (CT scan) will be needed to determine the extent and location of the disease.
Mesothelioma patients are generally referred to a prominent mesothelioma doctor in the United States. This oncologist is experienced in disease and pathology behavior and has been accustomed to a wide range of mesothelioma treatment options. Dr. David Sugarbaker of Brigham and Women's Hospital, is a representative of Harvard University and Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, which is the frontline in mesothelioma treatment through the International Mesothelioma Program.
Because mesothelioma usually requires further diagnosis, there is a wide range of treatment options available.
Mesothelioma is certainly an aggressive disease, but the degree of malignancy can be managed. Although there is no cure for cancer, mesothelioma treatment options including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are available for many patients. While the combination of Alimta® and Cisplatin is currently the only FDA that approved chemotherapy regimens. Several clinical trials are currently in the process of using other drugs including Gemcitabine and Onconase, with many showing dramatically improved results in certain cancer patients.
Radiation therapy is also used, but usually in conjunction with other treatment methods such as surgery and chemotherapy. Surgical resection of mesothelioma may be possible in the early stages of the patient's diagnosis. Aggressive surgery such as extrapleural pneumonectomy can prolong the patient's survival rate far beyond the previous estimate of time. Diagnostic and palliative surgery such as pleurocentesis and pleurodesis are also common in malignant mesothelioma cancer patients.
Alternative therapy has also been used effectively by many mesothelioma patients to assist in managing symptoms of illness and conventional treatments. This treatment is done in particular but can be very valuable to many patients.
Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos.
Mesothelioma is only caused by exposure to asbestos, although much of the case documentation has occurred in children or others who have no history of asbestos exposure. Asbestos is a microscopic and naturally occurring mineral that settles in the lining of the pleural lungs and the peritoneal lining of the abdominal cavity.
In many cases, people diagnosed with mesothelioma that have been known to be exposed to asbestos may be eligible for financial compensation from asbestos manufacturers for their disease. In some developed countries, those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and exposed to asbestos can fill out a short form and then get the latest mesothelioma treatment information, active clinical trials, prominent physicians, as well as how to get compensation for asbestos-related health conditions such as mesothelioma.