SYMPTOMS
Previously, diagnosing mesothelioma in its early stages had been a difficult, almost impossible task, because the early symptoms of this disease resemble those of similar diseases and sometimes even basic illnesses. The severity of mesothelioma is defined by four stages, with prognosis becoming bleaker as each stage progresses, so the discovery of symptoms in the first two stages is essential for ensuring a greater mesothelioma life expectancy. Additionally, the difficulty in diagnosing mesothelioma is caused by a large latency period, meaning that it can take decades between the initial exposure to asbestos and development of symptoms. However, if you or a loved one has been exposed to asbestos and experiences initial symptoms such as chest pain, violent coughing, and fatigue, it is essential that you consult with a physician immediately.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that many people are not even aware they may have. The symptoms are very subtle in the beginning and may go unnoticed. Some people experience no symptoms at all. This can lead to mesothelioma being left undiagnosed or misdiagnosed for several years. It is imperative that a person seek out medical attention at the first signs of mesothelioma. If the mesothelioma is left undiagnosed and untreated, the cancer can spread throughout the body.
Early symptoms of mesothelioma are generally shortness of breath and a heavy feeling in the chest area. Ninety percent of all patients will notice these two symptoms. However, because the symptoms do not seem serious many choose not to seek out medical care. The shortness of breath or heaviness is caused by a fluid buildup in the lungs. These two symptoms should be taken seriously, especially if a person has a history of asbestos exposure.
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PROGNOSIS
Prognosis refers to the likely outcome of a particular individual's illness. Similar to other forms of cancer, a person’s life expectancy depends upon several factors:
Type of cancer
Location and size of tumor
Cell type
Stage of the cancer at the point of diagnosis
Ability of the patients to receive and respond to treatment
Overall health and age of the individualAmount to which the cancer has spread or metastasized.
Sadly, in the case of mesothelioma, it is rare for a favorable prognosis to be achieved. This is due to the fact that malignant mesothelioma appears dormant for two to five decades after the initial exposure to asbestos has occurred. This means that the cancer has often advanced to Stage III or IV before the correct diagnosis is made by a physician. By this time, the cancer has often spread from its original location to other areas in the body lowering treatment success rates.
Patients who have better overall health and are younger in age typically have a more favorable outcome than those who are older or have other health issues. Additionally, non-smokers or those who quit tend to have a better prognosis than smokers.
Commonly, those who are experiences severe symptoms, and a lack of relief from palliative treatments, may have a weakened prognosis. Symptoms such as chest pain and shortness of breath are often signs that the cancer has progressed to a later stage.
Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. Since asbestos was common in male-dominated jobs, such as chemical and power plants, more men have been diagnosed with the disease. Women, in turn have been in less clinical studies so the information is not as abundant, however, according to the University of South Wales, females may have a greater prognosis expectancy due to a larger amount of the gene estrogen, which the university believes may lead to tumor suppression.
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PREVENTION
The only prevention for mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases is to avoid exposure to asbestos. However, due to the wide-spread use of asbestos in many homes, public buildings and work places until the early 1970’s, millions of people have already been exposed. At-risk professions include:
Construction Workers
Auto mechanics
Building engineers
Railroad workers
Shipyard employees
Those who are involved in or exposed to building renovations are at risk of asbestos exposure. Every safety precaution should be taken when dealing with asbestos, including protective equipment, safety procedures, and work practices.
The tragedy of asbestos diseases, including mesothelioma, is that it could have been prevented had appropriate precautions been taken when the issue was first known. Following are some facts regarding the time line in which dangers surrounding asbestos were first reported:
In the early 1900’s, asbestos was reported to be the cause of lung related illnesses and deaths.
In the 1930’s England was already adopting regulations to minimize workers’ exposure to asbestos.
In the United States, Federal asbestos regulations were not passed until the 1970’s.
Even upon learning of the potential risks of asbestos, companies did not employ appropriate safety measures. Consequently, asbestos diseases, such as mesothelioma, are on the rise. Between 2,000 and 4,000 new mesothelioma cases are reported each year.
Because mesothelioma has a long latency period of up to 30-50 years, diagnosis often does not occur until the asbestos cancer is in its late stages. It is important that you communicate with your doctor regarding any asbestos exposure, particularly if the exposure was over a long period of time. Time is critical when determining the most appropriate mesothelioma treatment, so giving your doctor information provides you the best opportunity to receive an early diagnosis.
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TREATMENT
A diagnosis is always difficult, whether it is pleural mesothelioma or another variety. Because this is such an aggressive malignancy, patients and their families may have a difficult time addressing the issue of treatment. However, because options for mesothelioma patients are steadily increasing, the discussion of treatment with one’s primary oncologist, family members, and loved ones is important. Nearly all mesothelioma patients have treatment options-be they curative or palliative that can extend survival, alleviate pain, and increase quality of life.
Each mesothelioma case is considered individually and there is no singular prescribed roadmap for the management of malignant mesothelioma. What's best for each individual patient will depend on any number of factors. Diagnostic procedures such as x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and biopsies will be used to determine these factors and these tests will assist your primary care physician and/or oncologist in determining the best treatment for the individual and their particular circumstances.
Treatment Options
Cancer treatment usually focuses upon destroying malignant cells and preserving healthy ones. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. At the present, patients will typically utilize three primary mechanisms for mesothelioma treatment. Either surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, or some combination of the three are considered the most effective for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. What course of treatment is recommended will largely depend on these issues:The type of mesothelioma and location of the tumor
The size of the tumor(s)
The degree to which the cancer has spread or metastasized
The staging of the cancer – I, II, III, etc.
The age of the patient
The overall physical health of the patient
Setting up any type of treatment may involve seeing a variety of doctors, including an oncologist (cancer specialist), pulmonologist (lung specialist), or radiologist. Patience is sometimes necessary to determine the exact malignancy variety and location, but knowing these factors will undoubtedly assist the oncologist in prescribing the best possible method of mesothelioma treatment.
Surgery for Mesothelioma Treatment
Surgery can be performed on mesothelioma patients for one of two reasons: in an attempt to cure the disease or for palliative reasons in order to keep the patient more comfortable and improve the quality of life. Because mesothelioma is nearly always diagnosed in its later stages, curative surgery is typically not an option. Once the tumor has metastasized outside the pleural cavity, palliation is typically the only ends for which surgery is utilized.As tests are developed that may help to diagnose mesothelioma at an earlier stage, surgery may become more of an option in the future. At that point, doctors may be able to attempt to remove the cancer and some of the surrounding tissue in an attempt to stabilize the disease.
More often, however, surgery is used as a palliative measure. For example, doctors may opt for a surgery called a pleurodesis, which involves injecting talc into the lungs to prevent fluid from returning. A thoracentesis, a surgical procedure that removes fluid from the lungs by means of a thin needle, may also be recommended.
In severe cases, a pleurectomy may be recommended for palliative purposes. This involves removing the pleura - the lining of the lung - and can control fluid build-up and lessen pain and breathing difficulties.
Advancements in Mesothelioma Surgery involves Chemotherapy and radiation Therapy Read more
Mesothelioma Cure
Following the backlash of asbestos-related exposures and illnesses, many people were wondering how scientific research was going to proceed. The response has been encouraging, with cancer specialists and other doctors working each day towards a cure for malignant mesothelioma. While a way to completely eliminate the cancer from the body does not presently exist, there are several successful mesothelioma treatment programs as well as clinical trials that are working towards developing a way to eliminate this unfortunate form of cancer.Treatments for patients of malignant mesothelioma commonly fall in line with treatment of other lung and lung-related cancers. Curative treatments are those which remove the cancer from the body completely. While there are no cures for mesothelioma, any treatment could theoretically be curative, so long as it is successful in completely removing the cancer from the body. While the treatment may be curative, it is important to remember that curative treatments do not rule out the recurrence of the disease.
While curative treatments may not prevent the disease from recurring, it is important to be aware of current initiatives that are working towards a total cure for the disease. There have been instances of unique treatment programs that have prevented the recurrence of the disease for several years. Paul Krauss was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 1997 and given only a few months to live by his physician. Today, Paul Krauss is still alive and active and has dedicated himself towards spreading awareness of the disease and working with others in developing treatment programs that would be as successful as his has been.
Combination treatments, which integrate two or more different treatment options, such as surgery coupled with radiation, or surgery paired with radiation and chemotherapy have been successful in extending life expectancies. Medical researchers believe that when the right combination of therapies is found, prognoses will be far longer than anyone could have imagined when the disease first manifested. Technology has also afforded new possibilities to mesothelioma patients. CT (Computer Topography) scans have been able to map three-dimensional images of the body's internal organs for targeted chemotherapy or radiation therapy to be administered.
Another novel technique is being integrated with surgical resections of mesothelioma tumors. Heated chemotherapeutic agents have shown increased proficiency in the elimination of cancer cells. Side effects of chemotherapy have, in the past, prevented physicians from delivering an optimal dosage of the drug. However, a novel procedure known as intracavity heated chemotherapy treatment has integrated these two concepts into a successful program. Heated chemotherapeutic agent is administered directly to the affected area during the surgical removal, destroying any remaining cancer cells in the area and extending prognoses well beyond typical timeframes.
It is through technology and advancements such as these that cancer specialists and physicians are laying the groundwork for a cure.
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