How far a mesothelioma patients can survive?

Mesothelioma survival rate:

As you have already read that the mesothelioma survival rate is too low depending upon the patients prognosis stage. If the mesothelioma patient is detected in the previous or at the initial stage, there are chances to save the patient but the chances are less indeed. When mesothelioma is detected, the patient can survive for a year and that too not confirmed as it is upto the progress of the disease. There are drugs to extend the survival rate but not to a greater extent. Some medical drugs have proved that their medication have had an greater effect on mesothelioma patients even for more than one and a half years too.

It has been found from the last 5 years the survival rate is less than 10%. One of the reason for this low survival rate because of the lack of realization from the people who have mesothelioma. They never mind about their health conditions even they often have some irregularities in their health. They do not have a through check up for their illness. We can clearly say that even a mild pain in chest or abdomen if unchecked in the early stage may lead to a unwanted situation at the end.

It is better to have a frequent checkup for any type of illness as this mesothelioma patients are often diagnosed only at the later or advanced stage. So the early detection will be easier to have a early tests and can be prescribed with drugs which can extend the mesothelioma survival rate.

The mesothelioma survival rate also depends upon the age of the patient and also the health of the patients. The early prognosis of mesothelioma will definitely lead to a positive treatment esp., in the survival rate of the patients from this dreadful medical condition.

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Mesothelioma treatment:

Mesothelioma treatment options:

For Mesothelioma still the treatments are not available to cure the deadly cancer completely. Researches are still undergoing for treatments to cure the disease to a full extent. The patient should choose the Mesothelioma treatment that is right for him. There are different ways of treatment for this deadly disease but not yet successful in every aspect.

The mesothelioma patient must know the stage he is in, to undergo the right kind of treatment and should get the knowledge of his prognosis. He also has to know the risk and side effects of the treatment which he needs to undergo. As mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that is found in the chest and abdominal cavity the treatment options are chemotherapy, radiation therapy and also by surgery are used as the treatment options. We can classify the treatment as three types and it can be of the following:

1) Surgery treatment.
2) Radiation therapy
3) Chemotherapy

1) Surgery treatment:

Surgery treatment is done by removing the pleural cavity, lung and the cancer affected area. This surgery is highly risky and may have adverse effect even in a short period of time. This type of surgery treatment is not done for old people and they are done especially for younger in age who can withstand the surgery with good health conditions.

Some surgery involves only in preventing  further spread of the cancer cells by specific control measures rather than curing mesothelioma.

2) Radiation Therapy:

As from the name implies, this type of treatment for mesothelioma is done by radiation to kill the tumor. Radiation therapy varies in success according to the location of the tumor. When these doses are given there are risk involved as these doses are given near to the walls of the heart, the light membrane pleura and it may cause damage to the organs.

So, doctors use to give low doses of radiation therapy but this can cure the disease only to a certain extent. So, radiation therapy is widely used for most type of cancer diseases and for this mesothelioma, it is used with doses to a cetain limit.

3) Chemotherapy:

Chemotherapy is the treatment which is used from a long time early from 1940s till now. These chemotherapy treatments are very useful in curing the cancer cells in the early stage. The stage before a tumor is formed is usually removed by this chemotherapy. There are even side effects to this chemotherapy treatment such as hair-loss, anemia, constipation and so on like these. Mainly chemotherapy uses drugs to treat this mesothelioma.

Even-though it have not produces much good results in many patients,  scientists still involved in researching new combination to treat this dreadful cancer called mesothelioma. There are many types in chemotherapy treatment like combined modality, intensity modulated and adjuvant and so on. Still invention of new drugs are still on the run to treat this mesothelioma.

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Mesothelioma Types:

Types of mesothelioma:

There are three kinds or forms of mesothelioma which is related to asbestos malignant mesothelioma. They are:

a) Pleural Mesothelioma, which affects the lining of the lungs or the chest cavity
b) Peritoneal Mesothelioma, which attacks the membrane surrounding the abdominal cavity or peritoneum
c) Pericardial Mesothelioma, which attacks around the lining of the heart.

a) Pleural Mesothelioma:

When the cancer hits the lining of the lungs ot the chest cavity it is often referred to as pleural mesothelioma. More than 3/4th of all diagnosed mesothelioma affect the pleura. When the person is exposed or inhales the asbestos dusts, these fibers travel to the lungs and become embedded in the lung lining, outside of the lungs and inside the ribs. Then there occurs inflammation and then it slowly becomes tumors as cancer cells in the membrane.

These cells grow faster and affect the entire lungs and leads to the advanced stages of mesothelioma. The symptoms often here are :

• Shortness of breath
• Painful breathing (pleurisy)
• Dry cough and Coughing up blood
• Unusual lumps of tissue under the skin on the chest or abdomen
• Weight loss
• Pain under the rib cage, in the lower back, or at the side of the chest
• Pain or swelling in the abdomen and difficulty swallowing.

These are some of the general symptoms of mesothelioma in pleura.

b) Peritoneal Mesothelioma: 

It is a rare cancer of mesothelioma and it is not seen as popular as pleural mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer affecting the abdominal lining.
Cells in these linings secrete a fluid which allows organs to move against one another. The intestines move food through the body. The cells of the mesothelium are designed to create fluid, but the cancer can cause them to overproduce, creating a build up of excess fluid in the abdominal cavity.
Because pleural mesothelioma is more common and often spreads to the peritoneal cavity, it is important to determine if pleural mesothelioma is the primary cancer.

c) Pericardial Mesothelioma:

This type of mesothelioma cancer affects the lining or sac that holds our heart. This type is very rare and about 5 - 10 % are affected by this type of mesothelioma. As the cancer grows, the membrane wall i.e., the sac holds the heart thickens and built up the fluid between the membrance layers and impairs cardiac function. This results in the final stage.

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Symptoms of mesothelioma:

Mesothelioma symptoms:

The symptoms of this cancer cannot be diagnosed in the early stages. The treatement success for mesothelioma mainly depends on what stage the cancer is on? In other words, the treatment can be positive only at the start of the final stage. Mesothelioma never been found or discovered at the early stages and can only be diagonized at the advanced stage. So, treatment of mesothelioma is really hard till now or unsuccessful.

The symptoms vary according to the location of the cancer's location. But mostly patients experience shortness of breath and generalized fatigue but acute pain will be found from the patients having pleural and pericardial mesothelioma. Mesothelioma  symptoms are often mistaken for the flu, heart disease or pneumonia. If symptoms persists it is better to consult the physician for a thorough checkup. These links provide more information on these disease.

    * Mayo Clinic
    * H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center
    * National Cancer Institute
    * American Lung Association
    * American Cancer Society

Courtesy: http://www.mesotheliomanews.com

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Mesothelioma prognosis:

How this mesothelioma occurs?

People who are diagnosed with mesothelioma mostly works near the asbestos fibers or nearer any asbestos dust unknowingly inhales these dust and get caught up with this mesothelioma cancer. This cancer mainly occurs by breathing and inhalation of these dust created by asbestos as above said. It mainly get caught a person when he is nearer to any clothes with asbestos fiber laid on it or any of their household works near to any asbestos dust.

How dangerous this disease is?

If symptoms starts to arise in person and when he/she is diagnosed with mesothelioma, it can be clearly said that the person is having a critical stage in this disease. The early stages are still not yet discovered and the later stages automatically arises with symptoms that are often unable to cure. Mostly mesothelioma cancer has unsuccessful treatments.

From research and studies, mesothelioma when found within either stage I or II, treatment for mesothelioma - usually with a combination of radiation and chemotherapy - is successful in extending the patient's life for five years at a rate of 74.6%.

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Mesothelioma - What is it all about?

What is mesothelioma:                         

It is a form of carcinoma of the mesotheliom lining lungs or abdomen or heart; usually associated with exposure to asbestos dust. It is a rare cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of your internal organs and this mesothelioma cancer mainly occurs in the pleurq i.e., the membranes that covers the lungs.

Pleura:
             The pleura is a thin, transparent membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the inside of the chest walls. Its main purposes are to protect and cushion the lungs from surrounding areas of the body and harmful substances that could damage its function. Like most protective coverings within the body, the pleura is made up of two layers and fluid that make up the space between the two parts. The two layers (one that is directly on the lungs and the other that covers the lungs) are often times pulled away from one another to allow for movement and non-friction between the lungs and the surrounding environment.

Asbestos:               

A mineral fiber that can pollute air or water and cause cancer or asbestosis when inhaled and also in other words asbestos is a health hazard and the dust created by brake systems should never by inhaled or digested.

The main substance that causes this cancer is asbestos dust. Please avoid these kinda dust in any extent.

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