Mesothelioma is a disease caused by exposure to the asbestos dust. The most unfortunate aspect of this disease is that its symptoms do not appear soon enough or within a short enough time after exposure to the asbestos dust. This complicates matters because when the symptoms finally appear, in most cases, they are not associated with the disease. It takes very long time, sometimes even decades, for the symptoms to appear in form of obdurate cough, shortness of breath and chest pain.
Surgery or cytoreduction involves the removal of all or nearly all visible tumor. In cases of mesothelioma, this is generally combined with chemotherapy to give a more effective elimination of cancerous cells. Some surgical operations aim to cure the patient completely especially if the cancer is still localized. In most other cases, surgery may only have a palliative effect as the cancerous mass is reduced. The following types of surgical procedures are used in mesothelioma treatment: First, Pleurodesis: insertion of an irritant in the pleural space causing an inflammation; this closes down the pleural space thus preventing build-up of fluid (pleural effusion). Most symptoms associated with pleural mesothelioma can be abated with this method for some time. A thoracoscope is used for this, second is Pleurectomy or peritonectomy: removal of part of the chest lining or abdomen lining (depending on where the cancer is), third is Decortication: removal of all or part of the membrane covering an organ, fourth is Pneumonectomy: removal of the whole affected lung (in most cases, mesothelioma develops on only one lung so that removal of that lung may cure the patient if the cancer has not spread).
Chemotherapy involves the administration of drugs that destroy cancerous cells. Chemotherapy in the treatment of mesothelioma can have the following objectives: First is Shrinking of tumors prior to surgery (neo-adjuvant chemotherapy), second is Destruction of cancer cells after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy), third is to Increase the effectiveness of radiotherapy (immunotherapy).
Plueral mesothelioma (cancer of the lung lining) represents approximately 3 out of 4 of the cases diagnosed. Typical symptoms of this type of mesothelioma include shortness of breath and or/chronic coughing. Of course, since these symptoms are similar to those of allergies or the common cold, it does not occur to most people that they are infected with this type of cancer.
Radiotherapy - This refers to the treatment of cancer through the use of penetrating beams of high energy. In the case of mesothelioma symptoms, radiotherapy can be used in combination with surgery in an attempt to cure or to control severity of symptoms. An example of radiotherapy is the Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) which uses computer generated images to target cancer cells directly with limited effect on surrounding tissue.
Surgery or cytoreduction involves the removal of all or nearly all visible tumor. In cases of mesothelioma, this is generally combined with chemotherapy to give a more effective elimination of cancerous cells. Some surgical operations aim to cure the patient completely especially if the cancer is still localized. In most other cases, surgery may only have a palliative effect as the cancerous mass is reduced. The following types of surgical procedures are used in mesothelioma treatment: First, Pleurodesis: insertion of an irritant in the pleural space causing an inflammation; this closes down the pleural space thus preventing build-up of fluid (pleural effusion). Most symptoms associated with pleural mesothelioma can be abated with this method for some time. A thoracoscope is used for this, second is Pleurectomy or peritonectomy: removal of part of the chest lining or abdomen lining (depending on where the cancer is), third is Decortication: removal of all or part of the membrane covering an organ, fourth is Pneumonectomy: removal of the whole affected lung (in most cases, mesothelioma develops on only one lung so that removal of that lung may cure the patient if the cancer has not spread).
Chemotherapy involves the administration of drugs that destroy cancerous cells. Chemotherapy in the treatment of mesothelioma can have the following objectives: First is Shrinking of tumors prior to surgery (neo-adjuvant chemotherapy), second is Destruction of cancer cells after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy), third is to Increase the effectiveness of radiotherapy (immunotherapy).
Plueral mesothelioma (cancer of the lung lining) represents approximately 3 out of 4 of the cases diagnosed. Typical symptoms of this type of mesothelioma include shortness of breath and or/chronic coughing. Of course, since these symptoms are similar to those of allergies or the common cold, it does not occur to most people that they are infected with this type of cancer.
Radiotherapy - This refers to the treatment of cancer through the use of penetrating beams of high energy. In the case of mesothelioma symptoms, radiotherapy can be used in combination with surgery in an attempt to cure or to control severity of symptoms. An example of radiotherapy is the Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) which uses computer generated images to target cancer cells directly with limited effect on surrounding tissue.