| Mesothelioma is a
unusual form of cancer in which malignant cells are found in
the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's
interior organs. The two major types of malignant mesothelioma
are pleural mesothelioma, which concerns the mesothelium membrane
that surrounds the lungs, and peritoneal mesothelioma which
concerns the mesothelium layer that covers the organs in the
abdominal cavity. The prognosis, therapy and handling choices
are similar whether the cancer is pleural mesothelioma or peritoneal
mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Treatments and Therapies
Standard treatment for all but localized
mesothelioma is usually not curative. Surgery
and radiotherapy have a limited role in highly selected mesothelioma
patients and chemotherapy is the only possible treatment option
for the majority of people diagnosed with mesothelioma. For
individual patients, treatment for mesothelioma depends on
the position of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and
the patient's age and common health. The only FDA accepted
chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma is pemetrexed.
Mesothelioma Prognosis and Survival
In general the prognosis of mesothelioma is poor and most
studies report middle survival of less than a year. However,
there are long term mesothelioma survivors who have survived
more than 10 years. In fact, in one mesothelioma study, doctors
writing about the prospects of mesothelioma explained that
long term mesothelioma survivors do exist and their prognosis
may be independent of the handling or therapies pursued. It
would suggest that mesothelioma prognosis and survival may
be more dependent on individual differences among patients
and less dependent upon conventional mesothelioma treatments.
Symptoms of Mesothelioma
Squatness of breath and pain in the chest due to an gathering
of fluid in the pleura are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may embrace bowel
obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever.
If the cancer has extend beyond the mesothelium to other parts
of the body, symptoms of mesothelioma may include pain, difficulty
swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.
Mesothelioma
Diagnosis
Diagnosing mesothelioma is often hard, because the symptoms
are alike to those of a number of other conditions. Diagnosis
begins with a analysis of the patient's medical history and
a whole physical examination may be performed, including x-rays
of the chest or abdomen and lung function tests. A CT scan
or an MRI may also be helpful. Mesothelioma is described as
restricted if the cancer is found only on the membrane exterior
where it originated..
Incidence & Risk Factors
Mesothelioma occurs more repeatedly in men than in women
and risk increases with age, but this disease can come out
in either men or women at any age. A history of asbestos disclosure
at work is reported in the majority of cases. However, mesothelioma
has been reported in some individuals without any known disclosure
to asbestos.
Asbestos and Mesothelioma
Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur logically
as masses of strong, elastic fibers that can be alienated
into thin threads and woven. If tiny asbestos particles float
in the air, in particular during the manufacturing process,
they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health
problems. In adding up to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos
increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis and other cancers,
such as those of the larynx and kidney. This risk may be the
consequence of exposure to asbestos dust brought home on the
clothing and hair of asbestos workers.
New Directions for Treating Mesothelioma
One move toward that may yield promising consequences is
anti angiogenesis. Anti angiogenesis is a form of therapy
that uses drugs or other substances to stop tumors from making
new blood vessels. Without a blood provide, the cancers cannot
grow successfully. Today, there are quite a few hundred clinical
trials of anti angiogenesis drugs under way. Under the supervision
of Parkash S. Gill, M.D. and financed by grants from the Mesothelioma
Research Foundation of America, a Phase I study of Veglin
has demonstrated some victory in patients suffering from lymphoma,
sarcoma, and colon and lung cancers.
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