Mesothelioma Treatment Stages

Mesothelioma is the term used for a cancerous tumor, which involves the mesothelioma cells of lungs, heart or abdominal organs. Medical specialists in mesothelioma provide treatment to the patients after assessing the stage of the mesothelioma in their specific case. They analyze the location of the cancer, the level to which it is spread and the patient?s age and general health condition.

Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which the malignant cells are found in the sac that lines the chest or abdomen. There are four stages of malignant mesothelioma. The first stage is localized mesothelioma and the remaining three are considered advanced stages of mesothelioma. Localized mesothelioma is the phase wherein the cancer is discovered in the lung, diaphragm or in the lining of the chest cavity. The patients in their first stage of mesothelioma get their cancer surgically removed by pleurectomy or decortication or extrapleural pneumonectomy.

In the second stage, the cancer is detected to have spread beyond the lining of the chest cavity. In the third stage, the tumor growth spreads into several areas that include chest wall, center of the chest, heart, and throughout the diaphragm. The treatment in the second, third and fourth stages of mesothelium are done in tandem with supportive care. The treatment for these advanced stages focuses on providing a patient with relief from symptoms, as total cure is generally not achieved. The treatment methodology includes thoracentesis that removes fluid accumulation in the chest cavity, operations to remove the tumor and radiation therapy or chemotherapy aimed at easing symptoms.

In the fourth stage, the cancer is in the process of distant metastasis, which implies that it has spread to other organs and tissues far from its site of origin in the pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial mesothelium. Patients suffering from the fourth stage should enroll themselves in clinical trials that evaluate the newest treatment possibilities in large medical centers. Pain management is an essential aspect of the care of such patients. It is important for patients to know that medications are available to effectively treat pain due to mesothelioma. They should request pain medications or discuss pain control problems with their cancer care team.

Mesothelioma Information

Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer, where cancer cells are located in the pleura, the peritoneum and the pericardium of the affected individual. Thus, the three main forms of mesothelioma are pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma targets the lining of the lung, peritoneal mesothelioma affects the abdominal cavity, and pericardial mesothelioma targets the lining around the heart.

Generally, people suffering from this disease have worked on jobs where they were in close contact with asbestos. Others have contracted the disease without any direct exposure to asbestos. There is a dormant period of 20 to 50 years between the first exposure to the mineral and the appearance of mesothelioma symptoms. There are rare occasions when the effects have been felt before 20 years, after first exposure to asbestos.

There are cases where people have been affected by the disease some four decades after a summer construction job brought them in contact with asbestos. It is not uncommon for housewives to catch the disease after washing asbestos-dust-infected clothes of their husbands and sons who work with asbestos-related products. There are several reported cases of people working in the Navy years back, who have contracted the disease now.

Some jobs put you at risk of the disease more than others. They are: insulators (people who install insulation); pipe fitters and steam fitters (who regularly work in claustrophobic conditions in ships and work with insulation); electricians; carpenters; mechanics; shipyard workers; maintenance workers; laborers, etc. Industrial sites characteristically are the most affected.

Though the survival rate for mesothelioma is low, there are some conventional treatments that can be tried. They are: surgery, where the tumor is removed; chemotherapy, where specific drugs are used to fight the malignancy; and radiation therapy, where high energy rays are deployed to kill the malignant cells.