Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer. In most cases, the prognosis is very poor at the time of diagnosis. In general, patients have not more than twelve months to live following a positive mesothelioma diagnosis. Hence, the treatment options for such an aggressive and rapidly developing disease are quite limited. Mesothelioma treatment is usually palliative. In other words, the objective of treatment is simply to relieve the patient of the pain associated with the mesothelioma symptoms. There is no hope of curing the patient from the disease for several reasons: First is Diagnosis occurs very late in the development of the disease. By the time diagnosis is made there is no hope for the patient, second is the development of the disease is very rapid and affects key organs like the heart and the lungs.
Initially, the unsuspecting patient and even his family physician associate these symptoms with common diseases like pneumonia. It is when the disease starts spreading to other organs of the body that the doctors apprehend and tend to trace the origin of the symptoms of this life-threatening condition. The other symptoms that appear are weight loss, breathing difficulty, fever and difficulty in swallowing food. The voice pattern may also change and the cough may be accompanied by blood; there also may be swelling on the neck and face.
Until it reaches advanced stages, this form of cancer provides very few obvious symptoms. It remains dormant for years; however, when it becomes active it quickly attacks the mesothelium and becomes almost impossible to treat successfully. The CDC estimates that 75% of the people who discover symptoms will die within one year of being diagnosed with this cancer. The remainder will die 6 months to several years later.
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.
Peritoneal mesothelioma (cancer of the stomach and intestines) also exhibits symptoms that are not obviously recognizable as cancer, such as anemia and fever. It is important to understand that mesothelioma generally takes decades to develop, but once mesothelioma symptoms are discovered (properly diagnosed) it quickly becomes aggressive. The best course of action is to become aware of the symptoms and to immediately seek diagnosis and treatment.
Initially, the unsuspecting patient and even his family physician associate these symptoms with common diseases like pneumonia. It is when the disease starts spreading to other organs of the body that the doctors apprehend and tend to trace the origin of the symptoms of this life-threatening condition. The other symptoms that appear are weight loss, breathing difficulty, fever and difficulty in swallowing food. The voice pattern may also change and the cough may be accompanied by blood; there also may be swelling on the neck and face.
Until it reaches advanced stages, this form of cancer provides very few obvious symptoms. It remains dormant for years; however, when it becomes active it quickly attacks the mesothelium and becomes almost impossible to treat successfully. The CDC estimates that 75% of the people who discover symptoms will die within one year of being diagnosed with this cancer. The remainder will die 6 months to several years later.
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.
Peritoneal mesothelioma (cancer of the stomach and intestines) also exhibits symptoms that are not obviously recognizable as cancer, such as anemia and fever. It is important to understand that mesothelioma generally takes decades to develop, but once mesothelioma symptoms are discovered (properly diagnosed) it quickly becomes aggressive. The best course of action is to become aware of the symptoms and to immediately seek diagnosis and treatment.
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