How Is Mesothelioma Treated?
Mesothelioma is a disease that usually affects males between the ages of fifty and ninety. It is caused by exposure to asbestos, which was commonly used in many types of construction jobs done at the time. Unfortunately, asbestos was not discovered or identified until decades later. Once it was found, it was difficult to dispose of it because it was very heavy. As a result, many people who had been exposed to it died soon after they began to develop this condition. Because of the many fatal symptoms that come along with this debilitating disease, it has become one of the most discussed and misdiagnosed diseases of our time.
For the latest treatment options available, doctors look to alternative medicine when traditional medicines fail. For instance, they may recommend surgery for those in the early stage of the disease. Surgery for stage 3 mesothelioma patients is relatively common and has high success rates. However, this type of surgery is extremely expensive, often costing thousands of dollars for every surgery. There are a few different types of surgery doctors use when treating this disease.
The first surgery option doctors use involves removing the cancerous cells from the affected areas in the body. This is called a biopsy and may be performed under local or general anesthesia. During the biopsy, doctors will remove tissue samples from the mesothelioma tendons, the peritoneum, the pleura, the lymph nodes, and the pericardium. They then analyze these samples under a microscope to determine the presence and size of the cancerous cells. Based on the results of the analysis, the doctor will decide whether or not the sample reveals signs of cancerous cells.
Once the analysis has been completed, the patient’s final prognosis and treatment options can be discussed. If a positive prognosis is reached, the patient’s treatment options range from removing the cancerous cells, to surgical removal, to chemotherapy. If treatment is determined to be ineffective, the final prognosis for survival is above 90%. If the patient’s prognosis reaches that point, her doctors will discuss whether to pursue additional treatments or to accept the prognosis of death. Most mesothelioma survivors live past their diagnosis with an overall improved quality of life.
If the cancer has spread beyond the lungs, mesothelioma usually shows up in the heart or other major organs. These tumors may cause life-threatening symptoms, such as irregular heart rhythm, chest pain, breathlessness, palpitations, irregular heart beat, dizziness, chest pains, nausea, and sweating. The final stage is characterized by widespread tumor growth and firmness of the abdomen. This stage is the worst-case scenario for those diagnosed with the disease, but many survive this final stage.
The median survival time after being diagnosed with this condition, according to various sources, is between five and ten years. Survival depends on a number of factors, including the patient’s age at the time of diagnosis, the size of tumor, the location of the tumor, the stage of the disease, the quality of medical care received, the patient’s overall health, and whether the patient had previously survived cancer treatments. Mesothelioma patients who survive this common form of cancer have a much improved quality of life, even after suffering from the debilitating symptoms of mesothelioma for many years.
