 Mesothelioma
Treatment
What
are the Signs of Mesothelioma?
The
signs of asbestos-related cancer
can remain undetectable for
up to forty years after the
initial exposure. This long
period of latency becomes marked
by progressively worsening inflammation
of the lungs. Tell tale symptoms
include difficulty breathing,
shortness of breath, coughing,
fatigue and loss of weight,
loss of appetite and chest or
abdominal pain. Initial symptoms
often include coughing up blood
(hemoptysis), pain in swallowing
(dysphagia), fever, chills,
weakness, severe fatigue, drenching
sweats, nausea, vomiting, pleural
effusion, a continually raspy
voice, and abdominal swelling.
ASBESTOS
LAWYER,MESOTHELIOMA LAWYER,ASBESTOS
LAWYERS,ASBESTOS LAWSUIT!!
If
you or someone that you care
about have experienced any of
these symptoms and think you
may have been exposed to asbestos
fibers, consult a physician
immediately. ASBESTOS
LAWYER,MESOTHELIOMA LAWYER,ASBESTOS
LAWYERS,ASBESTOS LAWSUIT!!
How
is Mesothelioma Diagnosed?
The
first step in diagnosing the
disease involves taking a chest
and abdominal X-ray. During
a doctor visit, the physician
can detect for a build up of
fluid in the lungs (pleural
effusion) or the abdomen (ascites).
Testing that shows high levels
of CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen)
may indicate lung cancer instead
of mesothelioma.
Often,
however, microscopic examination
of this fluid does not provide
enough information to give a
definitive diagnosis. In these
cases, the doctor may make a
very small incision between
your ribs or in your abdomen,
and insert a scope into your
chest cavity (thoracoscopy)
or abdomen (peritoneoscopy).
Such a scope allows the doctor
to view the surface of the mesothelium
and to withdraw tiny samples
(biopsies) for examination in
a laboratory. 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). A CT
(computed tomographic) scan
visually indicates the degree
to which the tumor has spread
to other parts of the body.
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.
ASBESTOS
LAWYER,MESOTHELIOMA LAWYER,ASBESTOS
LAWYERS,ASBESTOS LAWSUIT!!
The
chance of recovery (prognosis)
depends on many factors, including
the size of the cancer, where
the cancer is located, the degree
to which the cancer has spread,
whether the cancer responds
to treatment, as well as the
patient's age and health condition.
How
is Mesothelioma Treated?
Malignant
mesothelioma has no definite
cure. If you are diagnosed with
malignant mesothelioma, you
may require surgery to remove
the cancerous pleura (in the
chest) or peritoneum (in the
abdomen). In some cases, it
is necessary to remove a lung.
The typical course of action
involves utilizing a combination
of therapies in conjunction
with the removal of the malignant
tumor. The complexity of the
surgery to remove the mesothelioma
depends on the duration of exposure
and the amount of asbestos inhaled.
If
malignant mesothelioma has spread
extensively, treatment may be
limited to measures that help
relieve uncomfortable symptoms.
The pain may be treated with
narcotic painkillers, and oxygen
can relieve the shortness of
breath.
The
three most popular therapies
use in concert with surgery
include:
- Chemotherapy:
Uses specific and usually
very toxic drugs to try and
kill the cancer. Chemotherapy
may be administered by pill,
or it may be put into the
body by a needle in the vein
or muscle. Chemotherapeutic
agents can be administered
either systemically (through
the blood stream) or intrapleurally
(in the pleural cavity). When
it is administered intrapleurally,
the treatment is localized
at the site of the tumor.
- Radiation
therapy: uses high-energy
x-rays to kill cancer cells
and shrink tumors. Radiation
may come from a machine outside
the body (external radiation
therapy) or by putting materials
that produce radiation through
thin plastic tubes in the
area where the cancer cells
are found.
- Photodynamic
therapy: The patient is
given special medicines that
make the cancerous cells very
sensitive to light. During
a surgery, the surgeon uses
a laser that creates a chemical
reaction to kill the cancer.
The Photodynamic therapy is
still under investigation
for treatment of malignant
mesothelioma.
There
are several new experimental
treatments that attempt to strengthen
the immune system's ability
to combat malignant mesothelioma.
These include gene therapy and
the use of cytokine proteins
such as interferons and interleukins.
These treatments are being tested
in combination with chemotherapy
and other treatments (L-NDDP,
onconase).
Immunotherapy
(or biological therapy) is based
on the theory that it is possible
to mobilize the body's own immune
defenses against cancerous cells.
Gene
therapy, which is still in clinical
trials, uses an adenovirus for
delivery a "suicide gene" that
is inserted directly into the
tumor. This gene makes the cells
sensitive to a normally ineffective
drug, such as glanciclovir.
Treatment with the drug then
destroys the cancer cells, thereby
leaving the healthy cells unharmed.
ASBESTOS
LAWYER,MESOTHELIOMA LAWYER,ASBESTOS
LAWYERS,ASBESTOS LAWSUIT!!
|
