Thursday 30 December 2010

12 Essential Facts Mesothelioma Cancer

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Mesothelioma has become a household word to tens of thousands of U.S. citizens. It is a form of cancer associated with asbestos, and with the mesothelioma lawsuits that forced many asbestos companies into bankruptcy. Asbestos was an enormously popular material for construction products and insulation for industrial plants, commercial buildings and homes. By 1985 it was a proven carcinogen, after more than fifty years of suspicion from the medical community and denials from asbestos companies.

1. The Asbestos – Mesothelioma Link

Unlike most cancer, mesothelioma is almost always caused by just one source: asbestos exposure. The National Cancer Institute reports that up to 80% of all mesothelioma cases are caused by asbestos exposure. However additional causes of the disease are just guesses and include such exotic factors as exposure to a mineral in Turkey called zeolite and previous infection with the Simian monkey virus. Exposure to radiation may make the development of mesothelioma more likely.
For most of the twentieth century, asbestos was heavily used in the manufacture of all types of insulation, flooring, ceiling tiles, pipe fittings, plaster, caulking, roofing, and other construction products. Any industrial facility or power plant (including naval engine rooms) that generated heat probably had pipes, tanks and other fixtures insulated with asbestos. Some sort of asbestos product was at virtually all construction job sites up to 1985 or so.
Asbestos is a fibrous material that when disturbed, emits fibers into the air which can be inhaled by any nearby worker: a miner, a construction worker, a ship’s crewman working around the ship’s pipes and boilers, plumbers, carpenters, auto mechanics, workers in the oil business, in power plants, in chemical plants – the list goes on. The list also includes family members of workers that brought home asbestos fibers on their clothing and shoes from the job site.

2. Types of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is not just lung cancer. It begins in the lining of the chest or abdominal cavities and can impact the organs contained in or near those places: lungs, heart, reproductive organs. The mesothelium is a tissue lining for cavities in the upper body. In the pleural area, the area around the lungs, it is a double tissue with the inner portion (the visceral layer) lining the lungs themselves and the outer portion (the parietal layer) lining the chest wall.
There are three types of mesothelioma: as with the pleural area the disease can impact the lining around the heart and in the abdominal cavity. Mesothelioma is a condition of uncontrolled cell growth that causes the mesothelium layers to thicken and often results in fluid accumulating between the two layers. These cancer cells can be either malignant or benign.

3. Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma impacts the lining of the chest cavity around the lungs. When both the inner and outer membrane layers (the mesothelium) thicken and retain fluid in the area between, pressure is put on the lungs and shortness of breath develops. Other symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include a persistent cough, chest pain, hoarseness and perhaps trouble swallowing. The more general symptoms for mesothelioma are fever, weight loss and fatigue, which explains why the initial appearance of mesothelioma symptoms are often misdiagnosed as pneumonia or some other common pulmonary problem.
Pleural mesothelioma is by far the most common form of the disease, accounting for about 75% of all cases. It is, however, a disease of the membranes surrounding the lungs. If the rogue cells are malignant and pass into the lungs, the lung cancer that results is secondary to mesothelioma. Nevertheless, lung cancer that develops as a result of mesothelioma is often referred to as asbestos lung cancer or mesothelioma lung cancer.

4. Pericardial Mesothelioma

Pericardial mesothelioma impacts the membrane that surrounds the heart. This form of the disease is the rarest: less that 10% mesothelioma diagnoses are for the pericardial variant. One of the issues with pericardial mesothelioma is that medical researchers are unsure how asbestos fibers get into the tissue around the heart. In the case of pleural mesothelioma they are inhaled. How they migrate to the pericardial area is something of a mystery. One theory holds that they break up into smaller pieces after inhalation and somehow are carried to the pericardial area in the bloodstream.
In any case, the impact of asbestos fibers on the pericardial mesothelium is the same as in the pleural area. They cause inflammation which eventually leads to the uncontrolled growth of cells – cancerous cells. As the membrane thickens, fluid buildup occurs and pressure is put on the heart. The symptoms can include an irregular heartbeat and little or no stamina, along with chest pain. Because these characteristics are also symptomatic of heart disease, the diagnosis for mesothelioma is often overlooked initially.

5. Peritoneal Mesothelioma

This form of the disease impacts the membrane that lines the abdominal cavity, the peritoneum. It is also unclear how this form of the disease develops. The theory for pericardial mesothelioma that tiny asbestos fibers travel through the bloodstream is also applicable for the peritoneal variety. It is also quite possible that asbestos fibers work their way to the abdominal wall through the digestive tract and that they are introduced to the body through eating or drinking.
Asbestos fibers travel through the air like dust and pollen. They could certainly find their way to consumable items on a jobsite. Regardless of the source, the impact of asbestos on the peritoneal membrane is the same. Over time they act as an irritant which results in prolonged inflammation, eventually leading to the development of uncontrolled cancerous cell growth.
Fifteen to twenty percent of all mesothelioma cases are peritoneal. The fact that it is more common than pericardial mesothelioma would suggest that the causal theory based on ingestion makes sense. Lung cancer can also be a secondary development of peritoneal mesothelioma; in addition one of the rare forms of peritoneal mesothelioma can impact the testicles. The membrane within the scrotum is an extension of the peritoneal mesothelium.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma usually begin with abdominal pain as the fluid buildup caused by the mesothelioma cells begins to impact the abdominal cavity. It can also be accompanied by shortness of breath and a cough, although these symptoms are less common. What peritoneal mesothelioma does share with other types of the disease is a lag of some months between manifestation of the symptoms and a diagnosis.

6. Years Between Asbestos Exposure and Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose and there are a number of reasons for it. One is that the symptoms mimic those of much more common diseases. Another is that mesothelioma cancer itself does not result in tumor development; that occurs only after the disease has fully developed and metastasized into a nearby organ. But perhaps the most difficult factor is the reality that it takes years and often decades for those asbestos fibers to do their work.
In the case of pleural mesothelioma, the fibers are inhaled and slowly work their way through the lung wall into the mesothelium as the body tries to rid itself of this irritant. Once lodged in the membrane around the lungs, the fibers slowly create a situation where they trigger the development of malformed cancerous cells that begin the process of thickening the membranes which in turn begins the fluid accumulation process.
The result is a remarkably lengthy period of latency for the disease. By the time the symptoms appear – the shortness of breath, fatigue and fever – many years will have elapsed since the asbestos exposure. The patient may be a Navy veteran that spent four years on a ship three decades ago. The asbestos exposure will be long forgotten and the symptoms mirror indications of other more common diseases. The fact that mesothelioma is most often shrouded in a lengthy latency period means that it usually isn’t diagnosed until it has had time to fully develop as a malignant threat. The common latency period for mesothelioma is twenty to fifty years and twenty to thirty years for asbestosis.

7. Developing Mesothelioma Treatment Options

If mesothelioma is in an early stage it can be treated with surgery in combination with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. For pleural mesothelioma a pleurectomy – removing the diseased pleura – or an extrapleural pneumonectomy, which removes a lung in addition – are the two likely options. Peritoneal mesothelioma, when treated surgically, involves removal of the peritoneum in addition to adjacent malignant tissue.
Whether or not surgery is viable chemotherapy and radiotherapy are employed to slow or halt the disease. Efforts generally focus on slowing or stopping the growth of the cancerous cells. There are a number of approaches to this concept. One chemotherapy drug called cisplatin that is used for mesothelioma treatment has at its core molecules of platinum, which has proven to damage the DNA in certain types of cancer cells, resulting in their inability to reproduce. This sort of targeted chemotherapy does less damage to surrounding healthy cells than some more general formulations of anti-cancer cell agents.
Another chemotherapy drug approved by the FDA for mesothelioma treatment is pemetrexed, a medication that targets enzymes vital to certain types of cancer cells. This is another successful approach to narrowing the focus of chemotherapy and limiting collateral damage; however some mesothelioma cancer cells have shown resistance to pemetrexed. For that reason, mesothelioma clinical trials have recently been completed that utilize cisplatin and pemetrexed in combination. The result was a significant extension of survival time for many of the participants. Radiotherapy remains an adjunct form of mesothelioma treatment used to target certain types of malignant cells. It is also used to treat symptoms such as pleural effusion which can have a debilitating effect on the patient.

8. Early Diagnosis: the Key to Mesothelioma Survival

Practitioners working on mesothelioma cancer are faced with the difficult combination of a disease that is usually fully developed when diagnosed and that is a diffuse spread of cancer cells that are not gathered in the form of a tumor, often creating a situation where surgery isn’t a viable option. In addition, its initial symptoms are often readily assumed to be the result of some more common problem such as a pulmonary illness or heart problems.
In order to achieve some pattern of early diagnosis, people who know they have been exposed to asbestos must consult with their doctors and seek some preliminary tests to ensure that there are no signs of the disease. CT and MRI scans can today detect thickening of the mesothelium membrane in some cases. If diagnosis can be made before the physical symptoms appear, the doctor may have some chance of bringing growth of the cell mass to a halt before it is too late.

9. Mesothelioma in the Courts

The toxic nature of asbestos has been evident to some since the 1930s. By 1985 enough people had become sick from asbestos exposure that the relationship between asbestos and mesothelioma was incontrovertibly established. For years, asbestos companies and industrial giants that manufactured products using asbestos denied the health problems associated with it.
By the end of the 1990s the courts had ruled that people who suffered from an asbestos-related disease were entitled to liability compensation from asbestos companies who mined the material and corporations that used it to make consumer and construction products. The result has been over one hundred bankruptcies and the establishment of several trusts holding billions of dollars to compensate people who can prove personal damage or damage to a deceased family member as the result of asbestos exposure.

10. Asbestos is the Cause of Many Illnesses

While the lethal nature of mesothelioma cancer has drawn a lot of the attention given to asbestos toxicity, there are several other afflictions that can be attributed to the material. One of the most common and most harmful is asbestosis. This disease is the result of scarred lung tissue that has been damaged by asbestos fibers. It is a permanent, progressive, restrictive lung illness also known as pulmonary fibrosis. Asbestosis causes shortness of breath, reduced lung capacity and chest pain.
The most common affect of asbestos exposure is pleural plaques. These are smooth, raised strips of fibrous tissue that develop on the pleura. One third to one half of individuals with significant asbestos exposure will develop this condition. They are not pre-malignant and are not believed to lead to further health problems. They will calcify however, and show up on X-rays as an indication of asbestos exposure. Pleural thickening can also be a benign condition that is caused by the presence of asbestos fibers, leading to chest pain and possible pleural effusion.

11. Mesothelioma Treatment Research

Historically the treatment of mesothelioma has been palliative. However if the disease is diagnosed early enough, pleural or peritoneal surgery is possible. An important part of this decision making process, along with the stage of the cancer, is the health of the patient. But oncologists have gotten more aggressive in recent years about performing partial resections on mesothelioma malignancy and using powerful forms of chemotherapy to treat it. In virtually all cases radiotherapy and chemotherapy are recommended for both post-operative and non-surgical treatment.
The use of targeted chemotherapy is an example of how researchers are approaching mesothelioma today along with a number of other cancer types. Cells that can be programmed to attack or compromise cancer cells and then introduced into the afflicted area have become a common strategy for cancer treatment. Methods of targeting radiotherapy have also been introduced, in order to minimize the destruction of healthy cells adjacent to cancerous cells.
In general, researchers are looking for combinations of radiotherapy and chemotherapy that work best with certain types of mesothelioma cells (there are two) and in certain stages of the disease. Because there are so many late stage diagnoses, palliative care is still an important component of mesothelioma research. The National Cancer Institute sponsors many clinical trials for mesothelioma treatment, with nearly one hundred under way as of June 2010.

12. Doctors and Lawyers

Asbestos has affected the health of tens of thousands of people that we are aware of; there is a massive additional population of individuals who were never diagnosed or were exposed and died at a time when asbestos-related industries were in the throes of professional denial.
The courts have slowly come to the realization that this has been a national tragedy of sorts and that there is a large class of people who worked around asbestos, and their families that also suffered as a result, who are entitled to compensation. Asbestos companies have been forced to take financial responsibility to a degree uncommon in product liability law. Today there are trust funds established by these companies that hold billions of dollars to pay for claims against those companies for lives damaged or ruined by asbestos.
There are still many thousands of asbestos and mesothelioma claims to be filed because of the fact that mesothelioma has such a long latency period. Workers who were exposed to asbestos products on the job site daily during the 1970s may only now be showing the symptoms of asbestos toxicity. If you or a family member may be one of those individuals, it is important to both your health and your financial well being to confirm any potential asbestos health problems with your doctor.
If your physician detects asbestos damage, a mesothelioma lawyer with expertise in the field can obtain fiscal damages for you. If you’d like to discuss this possibility, fill out our simple form or give us a call and we’ll put you in touch with an experienced professional who can talk you through the details of your case and go over your options. There will be no financial obligation on your part; that will fall to the asbestos companies if yours is a viable case.
Read more "12 Essential Facts Mesothelioma Cancer..."

Friday 24 December 2010

Merry Christmas

Glitter Graphics

 My Christmas Text Message for you

My wishes for you in year 2011
Great start for Jan,
Love for Feb,
Peace for march,
No worries for April
Fun for May,
Joy for June to Nov,
Happiness for Dec,
Have a lucky and wonderful 2011.

Dis X-Mas Tree
.*.
,:'*':,
,:;***;:,
,:;;***;;:,  
   ><
Brings Hope, Joy,Luv,
Happiness & Peace 2 U & Ur family..
*HaPpY X-MAS*
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Tuesday 21 December 2010

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

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Cause of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural Mesothelioma is rare. That is what the people in charge would have you think. If Pleural Mesothelioma is so rare, how do you think, more than 2000 to 3000 new patients are diagnosed every year?

The fact is Pleural Mesothelioma used to be a rare form of cancer which made a symptomatic appearance 30-50 years after exposure to Asbestos. You see the only way to contract Pleural Mesothelioma is by being exposed to Asbestos. Before 1980 there were no laws protecting the workers from Asbestos exposure in the workplace, however, once it was seen that people working in an environment of Asbestos exposure were being diagnosed with Pleural Mesothelioma 30-50 years after their exposure, laws began to change.

Just imagine you work for 30 years in an industry and when you near retirement age you or your loved one contracts Pleural Mesothelioma.


What is Pleural Mesothelioma


Pleural Mesothelioma cancer is a malignant form of cancer found in the sac lining of the abdominal cavity or around the lining of the heart. It’s a fast and deadly cancer as once the symptoms develop it divides at a swift rate and complications are created within a year. The survival rate is nil and the life expectancy once the pleural Mesothelioma cancer develops is hardly two to three years, if you are lucky.



Asbestos Exposure and Pleural Mesothelioma


80% of all Mesothelioma cases are for workers in the asbestos industry. The disease is more common in men between the ages 50 and 70 and is contracted through the occupational hazard.

Most laws emerged but as yet, fail to give complete protection to the workers in the Asbestos industry. People working in shipyards, mines, insulation factories etc are still as viable to get pleural Mesothelioma as they were decades ago. Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma causes death. The fault lies with your employer.

Mesothelioma Resource Online, presents information that will help you understand the disease; its causes, effects and how you can best cope with it. If you need further assistance or have some questions on what you have seen so far, please feel free to contact us for more information.

Money is not everything. True. The difference between our service and other online companies is a person can be available to assist you. This tends to be much easier than getting in your car and driving to several stores.


Action You May Take

Money is not everything. But if you or your loved one have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma as a result of Asbestos exposure, consider legal action as you may be entitled to MONETARY COMPENSATION. Read more "Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma..."

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Chillers

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Positron emission tomography (PET) produces highly detailed images of the biological functions of the body. Also referred to as a PET scan or PET imaging, positron emission tomography is being used more frequently in the diagnosing of various malignant diseases.
PET scans revolve around the emission of positrons (tiny particles that are emitted from radioactive substances) for the purpose of radiation detection.

Positron Emission Tomography – Patient Preparation

Patients undergoing positron emission tomography will be advised by their physician to complete a series of preparatory steps that include:
  • Avoid eating food for at least four hours prior to the exam.
  • Drink plenty of water.
  • Inform the physician of any medications being taken.
  • Inform the physician if diabetic.
  • Bring any previous imaging scans (CT, MRI, etc.) relevant to the malignancy in question.
  • Wear comfortable clothing (Procedure can take from two to four hours).
Anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes prior to undergoing a PET scan, patients receive an intravenous injection of a radioactive substance (e.g. radioactive fluorine) that has been produced in a machine designed to accelerate clusters of charged particles (cyclotron). This radioactive substance is attached to certain types of natural body compounds; glucose is the most commonly used compound, though water or ammonia can also serve the same purpose. After injection, the radioactive substance travels throughout the body, soaking into the tissue being evaluated.
The PET scan itself can take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes, during which patients lay motionless inside a large, doughnut shaped machine housing a series of detectors. The machine is designed to record the emissions produced by the radioactive substance that has been injected into the body.
There is no pain associated with the radioactive substance that is injected into the patient's body and no pain associated with the scanning portion of the procedure. Following completion, patients are advised to drink plenty of water to help flush the radioactive substance from the body (most radiation is eliminated from the body within 18 hours following the PET scan).
The results of the PET scan are interpreted by a radiologist. It can take anywhere from one to three days for the results to be reported to the patient's attending physician.

Positron Emission Tomography – Pros and Cons

A PET scan differs from other types of imaging technology (MRI, CT scan, and x-ray) in that it displays the chemical function of a particular organ or section of tissue. PET scans are able to detect biochemical and metabolic changes suggesting disease before they are detected by standard imaging devices. Another benefit associated with PET scanning is that the radiation dosage is relatively low, equivalent to about half that of a CT scan.
One of the problems associated with positron emission tomography is the diagnostic tool's sensitivity. If a patient's chemical balances are not normal (diabetic patients or those who ate something prior to the test) then PET scans can produce false results.

Positron Emission Tomography and Mesothelioma

Medical professionals believe that PET scans hold a great deal of promise in regards to the diagnosing and staging of malignant mesothelioma. Various studies have shown PET scans to be more successful in diagnosing the presence of malignant mesothelioma when compared to standard mesothelioma diagnostic procedures (e.g. thoracoscopy or surgical biopsy). Such studies suggest that although standard imaging tests like CT scans and MRIs should continue to play a role, PET scans are becoming increasingly important in the diagnosis of mesothelioma.
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Saturday 18 December 2010

Mesothelioma Can Strike Anyone

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Most occupational diseases mainly strike people employed in particular trades or occupational settings over an extended period of time. Asbestosis, for example, is most often seen in workers employed in trades that involve substantial exposure to asbestos, including insulators, boilermakers and others. Mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung lining caused by asbestos exposure, does not respect such boundaries.

Certainly, people who worked directly with or around asbestos are at substantially increased risk of contracting mesothelioma, but even very brief or low level exposures can trigger the development of mesothelioma. The term “household exposure” has been used to explain how workers’ spouses and children were exposed to asbestos that traveled home with workers, in their hair and clothes. Others were exposed through a brief summer job or because they lived near an asbestos mine like the residents of Libby, Montana. And some developed mesothelioma simply because they worked in a building in which asbestos was used, often a school or hospital.

Here are profiles of some prominent people who, like tens of thousands of other hard-working citizens, have been diagnosed with mesothelioma. This disease does not follow any rules. It can reach into any family. And it has robbed us of heroes, leaders, artists, athletes and scientists who have changed our country, as well as hard-working men and women on whose labor modern American industry was built.
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Tuesday 14 December 2010

The Different Types of Mesothelioma

http://www-mesotheliomacancer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/mesothelioma-lawyers.jpg A disease that has only started to come to light in recent years, mesothelioma is a cancer that normally presents itself in malignant form and results in tumours in and around vital organs of the body. The definition of the word mesothelioma is literally cancer of the mesothelium (-oma being a medical term for cancer). The mesothelium is the sac that lines and protects vital organs such as the heart and the lungs, and this disease causes the cells of the lining to become abnormal and malignant.

The result of asbestos exposure, mesothelioma comes in three forms: pleural mesothelioma; peritoneal mesothelioma; and pericardial mesothelioma. All three types have a variety of associated symptoms, and there are some symptoms that are common to all three types of the disease. In all cases of the disease, sufferers are unlikely to even realise that there is a problem until many years after they have actually contracted mesothelioma from regular exposure to asbestos.

The symptoms of all types of mesothelioma do not generally manifest for several decades after contraction. This can make the disease difficult to diagnose and all too often is too late to save the patient by the time a diagnosis is made.
Pleural Mesothelioma:

The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma. This is where the cancer affects the lungs and the protective lining and cavity of the lungs. The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma result from pleural effusion, which is a build up of fluid between the lung lining and the chest cavity. Sufferers of pleural mesothelioma may experience some or all of the following symptoms: difficulty in breathing, difficulty in swallowing, shortness of breath, persistent coughing, weight loss, fever, coughing up of blood, and rasping.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma:

A rarer form of mesothelioma is peritoneal mesothelioma. This is where the cancer affects the stomach and abdomen. The cancer can start in the abdominal area and spread to other parts of the body, but the tumours that press against the wall of the abdomen can cause some or all of the following symptoms: abdominal pain, abdominal swelling, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, breathing problems, chest pain, bowel obstruction, anaemia, fever, and blood clotting abnormalities.

Pericardial Mesothelioma:

The last and the rarest of the mesothelioma types is pericardial mesothelioma. This is where the cancer affects the heart and the cavity that surrounds the heart. The tumours affecting pericardial mesothelioma patients can cause some or all of these symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath, trouble breathing, persistent coughing, and palpitations.


There are also cases of other asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis and respiratory problems that have stemmed from exposure to this potentially fatal material. Anyone that has worked with asbestos should see their doctor if they have any onset of this type of problem or if they are concerned and have doubts.

As you can see, the symptoms for all three types of mesothelioma are non-specific, which means that they could be the result of a number of more common diseases that are associated with the same symptoms. Many of the symptoms are the same as those displayed by viral pneumonia patients, and the disease if often mistaken for something else.

If your doctor is unaware that you have been exposed to asbestos, he or she is unlikely to assume that you may have mesothelioma and will instead test for a number of other more common diseases that are associated with your symptoms. People who have worked with asbestos or who have close contact with someone that works with asbestos should therefore always be vigilant in looking out for any of these symptoms and seeking medical advice if any or all of the symptoms manifest. They should also make their doctor aware that they have worked with asbestos so that no further time is wasted in testing for other types of disease. Much of the delay in diagnosing mesothelioma comes from lack of information and awareness on both the part of the doctor and the patient.

However, it is up to the patient, who is aware of the asbestos exposure, to increase the chances of a speedy diagnosis by making the doctor aware of the circumstances and keeping an eye out of any tell tale signs that mesothelioma may be present.
Read more "The Different Types of Mesothelioma..."

Saturday 11 December 2010

Traditional Mesothelioma Treatment Options

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Traditional Mesothelioma Treatment Options

  • Surgery (physical removal of the cancer)
    Surgery involves the physical removal or other operative treatment of the cancer. There are several different surgeries available for mesothelioma patients, some of which are used palliatively to treat symptoms and some of which are considered radical surgery, such as removal of one of the lungs, and used with curative intent. The physician will decide upon the nature and type of surgery to be performed based on his or her overall treatment strategy and the information determined during the patients workup.
  • Chemotherapy (using drugs to fight the cancer)
    Chemotherapy uses drugs and other chemical agents to kill cancer cells. It is referred to as systemic treatment because the drug is introduced into the patient’s bloodstream and travels throughout the body killing cancer cells. The introduction of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy has improved the efficacy of chemotherapy treatment for mesothelioma patients.
  • Radiation Therapy (using radiation to kill cancer cells)
    Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. For mesothelioma treatments, radiation can be used as part of a multimodal treatment protocol or it can be used in a palliative manner to reduce the pain associated with the disease.
Read more "Traditional Mesothelioma Treatment Options..."
 
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