Importance of Mesothelioma Treatment

When it comes to discuss about meosthelioma treatment we can’t omit mesothelioma treatment options. Since malignant cancer has many forms hence the importance of mesothelioma treatment is on top. In this cosmic era lots of mesothelioma treatment centers are offering many types of mesothelioma treatment options depending upon the types of mesothelioma disease.

Mesothelioma treatment can be done through radiology, surgery, chemotherapy etc. Surgery is needed for those who have been suffering from this disease for a long time and the size of the tumor is large. Hence the cost of mesothelioma would be much more than chemotherapy. The major factors involved with mesothelioma treatment are age, side effect of the treatment, the effects of the treatment on the overall health and the probabilities of survival, as well as the stage and severity of disease and the body parts over which the affliction has spread.

Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease that can be found with three types - pleural, peritoneal and pericardial. A variety of treatment options, including surgery, radiology, and chemotherapy, are needed to cure this malady. Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to damage tumors and stop them from further growing and dividing. Surgery completely removes the afflicted organ or its part. Chemotherapy is a treatment used to kill the tumor cells by injecting medicines intravenously into the ailed areas. The cost of these therapies and follow-up treatments are very high. Occasionally, a combination of two or more treatment method becomes essential to handle the disease.

Costs of mesothelioma treatment depend upon various matters such as fees for the physician, significant periods of hospitalization, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments. Some times patients and the family members have to travel to reach to the treatment centers. If you find mesothelioma treatment centers in your city then it would decrease the costs of the treatment.

Mesothelioma Treatments

Five major approaches to mesothelioma treatments are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, palliative therapy, and biological therapy. Each method may be used alone, but often they are coordinated in combined programs to improve the overall treatment result. The extent of any treatment is always dependant upon a patient’s physical health condition, their age, the location and stages of mesothelioma (degree) of the disease, and the extent of asbestos exposure.

Surgery - Mesothelioma Treatment

Surgery - Patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma can be considered possible candidates for a surgical procedure known as pneumonectomy. This is the surgical excision (removal) of the diseased lung and, if need be, any affected parts of the surrounding diaphragm. In reality, pneumonectomy is considered a high-risk procedure and eligibility is dependant upon the patient’s present state of health and extent of asbestos cancer exposure.

Radiation - Mesothelioma Treatment

Radiation Treatment - Radiation therapy is the mesothelioma treatment of disease using either an external source of high-energy rays (x-rays or gamma rays) or internally implanted radioactive substances. These rays and substances are effective in destroying tissue and stopping the growth of malignant cells. In contrast to chemotherapy, radiation therapy is targeted towards a specific area and can treat the affected area without exposing the surrounding healthy tissue. Radiation can be used as a combination treatment along with surgery, or can be used alone to combat mesothelioma cancer. As with most treatments, a high dose of radiation can cause health complications.

Chemotherapy - Mesothelioma Treatment

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs in the cancer treatment. Standard chemotherapy treatments are either administered in the form of pills or injected medication, and may be used alone or in combination with surgery and irradiation. In chemotherapy, drugs are given according to a written protocol, or plan, that details exactly how the drugs will be given. Once these drugs are distributed in the body, however, both tumor cells and normal tissue cells are susceptible to their lethal effects, often making the patient very ill. Usually drug therapy is continued until the patient achieves a remission, which is the absence of all signs of disease. Common side effects of chemotherapy include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding, weight loss, hair loss, and overall physical fatigue.

Palliative Therapy - Mesothelioma Treatment

Palliative therapy is a relieving, but not curative method by which to treat and control the symptoms of mesothelioma cancer. During such therapy, a needle is used to drain and suction excess fluid from the affected tissue. Generally, post-palliative drugs are administered to the patient in order to prevent further accumulation of fluids.

Biological - Mesothelioma Treatment

Biological Treatment - A more recent approach to cancer treatment, including treatment of mesothelioma cancer, is the use of the body’s own defense mechanisms to fight tumor cells. Medical experts are exploring how elements of the immune system can be restored, enhanced, mimicked, and manipulated to destroy cancerous cells. Substances produced by normal cells that either directly block tumor growth or stimulate the immune system and other body defenses are called biological response modifiers. Examples of these substances are interferon (made by lymphocytes which are important in immune response), monoclonal antibodies (derived from mouse cells and capable of binding to human tumors in an immune response), colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) that stimulate blood forming cells, and interleukins that stimulate the immune system.

Mesothelioma in Veterans

In recent years, tens of thousands of former Army, Air Force, Marine, Navy, and Coast Guard personnel and their spouses have begun to develop mesothelioma . Decades after their military service in World War II, Korea, and other conflicts, these veterans are getting hit with the devastating news that their service to their country is the source of their cancer. The association between veterans and mesothelioma cancer is especially strong among men who served in the Navy during World War II.

Mesothelioma Develops Years after Asbestos Exposure

Essentially every case of mesothelioma (whether in a veteran or civilian) is due to the individual's exposure to asbestos, a carcinogen that was once very widely used in building materials, Navy ships, and thousands of other products. After asbestos fibers are inhaled, the lungs or other internal organs can eventually develop mesothelioma cancer cells.

The symptoms of mesothelioma take from 10 to 50 years to develop, but the mesothelioma–asbestos link can be identified and confirmed even when the patient hasn't had any contact with asbestos for decades. The increasing numbers of veterans with mesothelioma diagnoses continue to confirm the causal link between asbestos and mesothelioma.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma Cancer

Some soldiers, sailors, Marines and other veterans with mesothelioma are already being treated. Other veterans are experiencing the first symptoms and signs of mesothelioma but are not yet aware that cancer is causing the symptoms. If you're a veteran and you're experiencing Mesothelioma symptoms such as chest or abdominal pain and shortness of breath or wheezing, get examined immediately by a physician.

Asbestos Exposure in Veterans

The veterans (and civilian contractors) who worked with asbestos in years past include:

• Insulation installers
• Boiler room workers and others who worked below deck
• Shipyard workers
• Construction workers
• Machinery repairmen
• Machinists' mates

Other individuals at risk for mesothelioma are those who worked with asbestos-containing products such as:

• Adhesives
• Brake pads and clutches
• Cables
• Gaskets
• Insulation
• Plumbing

The spouses of these workers were often exposed to toxic levels of asbestos when the workers came home wearing their work clothes — which were full of asbestos fibers, ready to be laundered time after time.