Pericardial Mesothelioma: Quick Facts

What is pericardial mesothelioma ?

It is a cancer caused by the inhalation of asbestos dust, and is the most rare of mesothelioma cancers. It accounts for about 5% of all cases.
Its period of latency (time it takes for the symptoms to show) is approximately 30-50 years. Symptoms are similar to other diseases such as pneumonia whilst in the early stages. This makes it rather difficult to diagnose and treat.

What are the treatment options for pericardial mesothelioma ?

There are three options available for an individual diagnosed with this cancer; surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. A patient will first require a doctor's evaluation to determine which treatment option is suitable for him.

What are my chances of survival from pericardial mesothelioma ?

It is important to stress that once you start experiencing the symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma (shortness of breath, chest pains, coughing up blood, and palpitations) you should immediately seek specialized help.
The prognosis of pericardial mesothelioma depends largely on how early the cancer is detected. Should you be diagnosed in the later stages of development, your chances of survival could be very slim (usually a few months).

Can you go through each of the treatment options ?

Radiation - large doses of radiation are used to kill the cancerous cells on the pericardium. The disadvantage of using radiation to treat pericardial mesothelioma is that the vital organs close to the heart are also being damaged.
Surgery - this can be divided into two parts; aggressive surgery & palliative procedures. Aggressive surgery involves the removal of the cancerous cells from the pericardium. This procedure is only performed by an extremely skilled surgeon as the cells are usually located in close proximity to the heart and lungs. Any small mishap can have a fatal outcome.
Palliative procedures are used in the latest stages of pericardial mesothelioma. They serve the sole purpose of relieving the symptoms since the cancer is almost incurable at this stage.
Chemotherapy - drugs are used to kill the cancerous cells. Unfortunately, the majority of drugs used to treat pericardial mesothelioma have an extremely low success rate. Pharmaceutical companies are conducting trials to come up with the right combination of drugs that can produce better results for treating pericardial mesothelioma.
You also have dual therapy which is just a combination of the three methods. Cancerous cells are removed by means of surgery, then the remaining cells are killed off by radiation and chemotherapy. Although still dangerous, dual therapy has demonstrated a higher success rate than using the three individual methods alone.

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Mesothelioma Treatments - Some Basic Facts

Before we discuss about mesothelioma treatments it is important to have an understanding of what is mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the linings of lungs and abdominal area caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. It takes 30–40 years for this cancer to appear after the asbestos exposure. It is important to treat this cancer in the early stages otherwise it proves fatal. Various mesothelioma treatments are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

There are two types of surgeries for mesothelioma treatments, Aggressive Surgery and Palliative Procedures. Before performing any surgery, it is necessary to check whether the heart and lungs are functioning properly. Of the two types, aggressive surgery, also known as Pneumonectomy, is complicated surgery performed on younger patients, who are good in health and can bear the surgery. Pneumonectomy involves the removal of extra pleural membrane. The main purpose of this mesothelioma treatment is to physically remove as much tumor as possible.

Palliative procedures of mesothelioma treatment are known as Pleurectomy. It is done in the early stages of cancer. This process of mesothelioma treatment involves surgical removal of pleura. However, the procedures are involved to lessen and control the symptoms rather than to cure the disease. This surgery reduces the pain caused by the tumor mass and helps in preventing the recurrence of pleural effusion. Complete removal of tumor is not possible with this procedure.

Chemotherapy is a mesothelioma treatment method that makes combined use of certain drugs for shrinking the tumor. Though some patients show only partial success to this method, some combinations of chemotherapy drugs have proved successful. Scientists have developed some new chemotherapy drugs for mesothelioma treatments.

Radiation therapy is the mesothelioma treatment method that makes use of nuclear radiations to kill the malignant cells and shrink the tumor. However, radiation therapy is an extremely difficult procedure. It can damage the healthy cells of heart, lungs, and other vital organs surrounded by radiation dosage. Dual therapy includes chemotherapy and radiation therapy along with the combination of surgery. This combination helps in killing any remaining tumor cells left after surgery and in relieving symptoms such as pain.

Mesothelioma treatments can be very expensive. However the patients suffering from mesothelioma and other asbestos based diseases can file lawsuits for recovering damages medical expenses, loss of income, lost earning capacity, pain and sufferings. The mesothelioma victims can take help of expert asbestos attorneys to locate the defendants- persons/companies responsible for causing asbestos exposure.

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