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.

About the Author: Kirsten Hawkins is a asbestos and
mesothelioma specialist from Nashville, TN. Visit
http://www.asbestosblog.org/ for information on asbestos reform,
mesothelioma lawsuit news, and more.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

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