Friday, February 4, 2011

Malignant Mesothelioma: What You Want To Know

By Tom Addison


A rare cancer often affecting the lungs and abdomen, malignant mesothelioma attacks the membranes which surround many body organs. Seen more often in men than women, though not a common disease, it is becoming more prevalent as time moves on.

In a great deal of cases, the cause of the malignant mesothelioma is found to be exposure to asbestos. There are several other triggers for the condition though. And with it being a slow burning condition, diagnosis is often not made until after the tumor has taken hold and progressed to an advanced stage.

Following diagnosis, the condition will be assessed to understand at what stage it is at. This is an important part of each individual case, and will go someway to helping with understanding the prognosis and help assign relevant treatment options.

As a rule, there are three primary treatment options which can be considered. Surgery is a possibility according to what stage the condition is at. The health of the patient will be taken into consideration though also, due to the severity of the operation and consideration of the mesothelioma survival rate.

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the other options widely available. In some cases, these therapies may also be given to patients having undergone surgery. In such cases, an otherwise fit and healthy patient could live long past the average mesothelioma survival rate which is very low.

Other factors affecting recovery rates include the age of the patient undergoing treatment, their general health and results of further tests on the tumor. Those suffering from recurrent issues and other chest issues will have other complications to combat.

Though much research has been made into malignant mesothelioma over the years, the life expectancy for sufferers remains depressingly low. With many more cases expected throughout the western world over the next few years, clinical trials and studies continue with a view to finding a solution which works.




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