Mesothelioma Treatment
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is rare, usually occurring in the mesothelium or the membrane covering the organs and tissues in the body. There are three main types of mesothelioma: The pleural mesothelioma is diagnosed when tissue and fluid are found in the pleura, the lining of the lungs. The peritoneal mesothelioma occurs in the abdominal cavity, and the pericardial mesothelioma is found in the chest cavity, commonly at the heart. The mesothelium is a protective layer that covers the internal organs.
When in the terminal stages of Mesothelioma Cancer, symptoms develop from the very beginning. When cancer cells divide and multiply rapidly, they spread through the lymphatic system to the lungs, where the cancer cells present a serious health risk. The lung cancer that is mesothelioma is generally diagnosed if the tissue of the lungs is found to be malignant.
If the lung tissue is malignant, the result can be deadly. If it is mesothelioma, it could also cause death from other causes, including heart failure, pneumonia, emphysema, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If it’s pleural mesothelioma, it could be fatal from a scar tissue infection of the chest cavity, resulting in aspergillosis. It could also cause heart attack and damage the heart valve.
Treatment for this type of cancer is a combination of treatments and depends on many factors. Some of the factors that determine the best treatment include; the type of mesothelioma; the stage of mesothelioma cancer; the effect the cancer has on the patient’s life; the effect the cancer has on the effects of treatment; and the patient’s family’s response to the cancer treatment. Other factors include; family history of mesothelioma; heredity factors; how many children the patient has; local first-line therapies; health and age of the patient; cancer therapy; and chemotherapy.
In the advanced stages of mesothelioma, more aggressive treatments such as surgeries and radiation may be used to treat the cancer. In some cases, surgery may be performed in conjunction with radiation, and other times with both. The treatments given may range from surgery to chemo or radiation therapy.
If cancer is detected before any symptoms appear, the health care provider will often recommend surgery. Surgeries like those of the peritoneal mesothelioma surgery involve removal of the tumor, removing the affected tissue from the abdomen and liver, and closing the abdominal wounds. Some people with the pleural mesothelioma surgical procedure are given radiation therapy. Surgery and radiation therapy may be performed by various doctors, including general surgeons, and thoracic surgeons.
Chemotherapy is another treatment for mesothelioma, and it takes high doses of radiation or chemotherapy drugs to kill cancer cells. They are administered into the blood to the cancer cells. Like surgery, this can be performed by different doctors, including general surgeons, and thoracic surgeons.
There are several ways to treat mesothelioma, but all have the goal of helping the patient’s life, and hopefully survival. Treatment can vary according to each patient, as well as the stage of the cancer, and the stage of the mesothelioma itself. Some people may feel better after undergoing surgery, or radiation, but others might need only radiation, or no treatment at all.
