Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma Treatment

After mesothelioma diagnosis, your oncologist will determine the stage of the cancer and recommend amesothelioma treatment plan, which is important to review with your family and caregivers. Like other cancers, mesothelioma is generally categorized by stages ranging from I to IV; stage I is localized to a single part of the body, while stage IV is considered advanced and extensively spread.

Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, there are treatments that can extend and improve patients’ lives. The best treatment for you will depend on a number of factors, including the stage of mesothelioma, your age and your general health. Treatment may include a combination of the surgical removal of tumors, chemotherapy, radiation and medication.

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Diagnosing Mesothelioma

Actual diagnosis of mesothelioma is determined with a tissue biopsy, although doctors employ various techniques to rule out other medical conditions and determine the location and extent of the cancer when mesothelioma is present.

Assessment for mesothelioma typically begins much like standard medical evaluations. Your general physician or oncologist will review your medical history, discuss your occupational exposure or second-hand exposure to asbestos, and conduct a thorough physical examination.

This will be followed with other diagnostic procedures that may include a blood test to check your levels of osteopontin and soluble mesothelin-related peptides (SMRPs). Osteopontin is a type of protein that is most prominent in bones and teeth, and SMRPs are types of molecules that can bond to amino acids; elevated levels of osteopontin and SMRPs are common among mesothelioma victims.

Your doctor may also conduct pulmonary testing to evaluate your lung function, as well as employ X-rays, computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) to pinpoint the presence of tumors and fluid accumulation. Depending on the type of physician who conducted your diagnosis, you may be referred to an oncologist who specializes in mesothelioma for further testing and treatment.

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Mesothelioma Symptoms

Mesothelioma often goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed early because patients may attribute symptoms such as shortness of breath, fever, coughing and chest pain to other ailments, such as the flu. Similarly, without knowledge of a patient’s history of asbestos exposure, a physician may not associate these symptoms with the possibility of mesothelioma.

Other common mesothelioma symptoms include:

• Coughing up blood
• Abdominal or back pain
• Chronic fatigue
• Lumps under the skin in the affected area (generally the chest or abdomen)
• Difficulty swallowing
• Loss of appetite
• Sudden weight loss
• Night sweats

If you suffer from these symptoms and you worked with or around asbestos, or if you experience these symptoms and you are the family member of someone who had regular contact with asbestos, it’s important to undergo a medical evaluation and alert your doctor about your exposure to asbestos.

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What is Pericardial Mesothelioma?

Accounting for only about 1 percent of all mesothelioma diagnoses, pericardial mesothelioma is the rarest form of this cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

If you or a family member was diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos-related lung cancer, Brooklyn mesothelioma lawyer Joseph P. Williams and the team at The Williams Law Firm, P.C. are ready to help. An experienced trial lawyer and respected advocate for asbestos exposure victims and their families, Mr. Williams can reduce some of the burdens families dealing with these devasting diseases feel by fighting for just financial compensation.

Symptoms of Pericardial Mesothelioma

Your pericardium in the dual-layered membrane that surrounds your heart. It is responsible for lubricating the heart as well as preventing excessive dilation, protecting against infection and limiting heart movement. Linked to asbestos exposure, pericardial mesothelioma affects twice as many men as women and is often not diagnosed unit the disease is in an advanced stage. Symptoms that may indicate this particular type of mesotheliomainclude:

• Irregular heart beat or heart murmur
• Chest pain
• Chronic coughing
• Night sweats
• General fatigue
• Difficulties breathing, particularly while lying down

While these symptoms are common with various other physical disorders and diseases, if you have been exposed to asbestos at any time in your life it is important to talk to your doctor if these symptoms occur. It can take decades, sometimes upward of 50 years, for pericardial mesothelioma to exhibit symptoms. Although there is no cure for pericardial mesothelioma, it is possible to extend life expectancy and improve quality of life with early detection and treatment.

Treating Pericardial Mesothelioma

Surgical intervention is often the most effective mesothelioma treatment, but because the pericardium surrounds the heart, surgery is not possible in advanced stages of pericardial mesothelioma. However, when pericardial mesothelioma can be diagnosed in its earliest stage, a pericardiectomy may be the most effective option.

This type of surgery removes small, localized tumors and can also relieve pressure and minimize fluid build up, allowing the heart to continue functioning as normal. This is not an option for all patients, but remains the only proven way to extend life expectancy with this disease.

 Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are considered minimally effective for pericardial treatments, often leaving palliative treatments such as pericardiocentesis, needle aspiration or pain medications as the only option. It is important to remember that palliative treatments are not capable of extending life expectancy, though they can greatly increase comfort and improve your overall quality of life.

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What is Peritoneal Mesothelioma?

Your peritoneum is the thin membrane that lines your abdominal cavity and helps lubricate internal organs, allowing them to contract and expand within their normal function. Peritoneal mesothelioma is one of the raresttypes of mesothelioma, a deadly form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

New York mesothelioma attorney Joseph P. Williams and the team at The Williams Law Firm, P.C., are dedicated to helping asbestos exposure victims and their families cope with the challenges of mesothelioma and asbestos-related lung cancer by fighting for the monetary compensation you need. Mr. Williams has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for those dealing with the emotional, physical and financial stresses of mesothelioma and lung cancer.

Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Peritoneal mesothelioma initially causes a gradual thickening of the peritoneum. As the disease progresses, a build up of fluids and/or mesothelioma tumors develop, placing pressure on the internal organs and producing significant abdominal pain. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Changes in bowel habits
• Lumps under the skin in the abdominal area
• Night sweats
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Anemia 

Like all types of mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma is a direct result of asbestos exposure and generally has a latency period of about 20 to 50 years. Perhaps due to the latency period, peritoneal mesothelioma is often mistaken in its early stages for minor abdominal issues or a hernia. If you have been exposed to asbestos at any point in your life, it is important to be aware of this condition and to talk to your doctor immediately if you begin to develop symptoms of this disease.

Treating Peritoneal Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma treatment is most effective when the disease is caught early on. Stage 1 peritoneal mesothelioma may initially focus on surgical options such as peritonectomy to remove abdominal malignancies. For more advanced stages, cytoreductive surgery, in which multiple surgeries are used to remove parts of the abdomen and gall bladder, may also be used.

Both of these procedures must be combined with chemotherapy to control the spread of the cancer as well as improve life expectancy and quality of life. Unfortunately, peritoneal mesothelioma is often not diagnosed until the cancer is in an advanced stage, rendering curative treatments ineffective.

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What is Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of mesothelioma, an aggressive and deadly form of cancer that is the result of asbestos exposure.

Asbestos and Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma develops in the pleura—two layers of the protective tissue known as mesothelium that surround the lungs—and is caused by asbestos exposure. The particles from asbestos fibers are difficult for the body to filter, and with progressive exposure these asbestos particulates accumulate in the pleura, where they lead to inflammation and scarring.

Over time, the asbestos particles contribute to genetic changes in the cellular makeup of the pleura, causing the cells to become cancerous. As mesothelioma tumors form, fluid begins to build up between the layers of pleura, which puts pressure on the lungs and results in chest pain and impaired breathing.

Pleural mesothelioma accounts for approximately three-quarters of all mesothelioma cases. Although mesothelioma tumors tend to spread throughout the body, they most often originate in the pleura.

Pleural Mesothelioma Symptoms

Like other types of mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma is difficult to detect and treat in its early stages because symptoms are rarely present until the cancer is in an advanced stage, sometimes as many as 60 years after contact with asbestos occurred. Diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma is further complicated by the fact that it shares many symptoms with conditions such as influenza and pneumonia.

Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include but are not limited to:

• Chronic dry or raspy cough
• Pleural effusion (fluid buildup around the lungs)
• Coughing up blood
• Shortness of breath
• Pain in the chest, rib area and/or lower back
• Persistent fatigue
• Lumps under the skin on the chest
• Difficulty swallowing
• Loss of appetite

There is no cure for pleural mesothelioma, but there are mesothelioma treatment options that can improve a patient’s quality of life and prolong life expectancy.

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Types of Mesothelioma

The term mesothelioma applies to various types of this deadly cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos.

Manhattan mesothelioma lawyer Joseph P. Williams and the team at The Williams Law Firm, P.C. understand the far-reaching impacts of mesothelioma on victims and their family members. Mr. Williams is an aggressive and knowledgeable advocate for asbestos exposure victims, and he has extensive success in helping mesothelioma victims and their families across the United States recover the financial security they need for medical care and peace of mind.

Common Types of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a preventable but fatal form of cancer that develops in the protective membrane known as the mesothelium, a layer of tissue that covers most internal organs. Mesothelioma is the result of asbestos exposure, and the individual types of mesothelioma are named for specific mesothelium in which the cancer exists.

The three predominant types of mesothelioma are:

• Pleural mesothelioma: Develops in the pleura, the mesothelium surrounding the lungs; the most common type of mesothelioma
• Peritoneal mesothelioma: Develops in the peritoneum, the mesothelium that lines abdominal organs
• Pericardial mesothelioma: Develops in the pericardium, the mesothelium that covers the heart

Mesothelioma may also develop in the mesothelium that lines the testes, although this type of mesothelioma is extremely rare.

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