Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma Lawsuit Video

2010-03-24T11:45:00.000-04:00

Mesothelioma Lawsuit Video

Mesothelioma

2010-03-24T11:34:00.001-04:00

Mesothelioma

Asbestos Death Statistics

2010-02-27T02:07:00.000-05:00

Mesothelioma cancer is one the most difficult diseases to treat because it reacts only to certain chemical compounds and it develops differently in each patient. This means that doctors didn’t yet discover the cure for it, but their researches and studies are on the right path.

Present treatment methods are further developed and will eventually lead to the cure, but until then mesothelioma doctors are trying to prolong the life of asbestos exposed patients as much as possible. They also try to hold campaigns against asbestos exposure, together with lawyers and attorneys, to explain the ways you can keep yourself away from inhaling or swallowing asbestos fibers.

Asbestos deaths statistics

Here are some numbers of asbestos deaths statistics that might interest patients or their close family and friends:

Asbestos by states – since 1979 California has been the state where the most asbestos infections occur, an estimate of 40000 to 60000 of deceased were registered, due to asbestos related diseases such as mesothelioma
In the United States alone a number of approximately 10000 asbestos deaths per year are registered, from an average between 2004 and 2007
Recent asbestos deaths are lower compared to the same period of last year
In Canada, asbestos deaths are very low, about 300 cases per year.
Most of the deceased families will receive up to 2 million dollars in compensation from a lawsuit against the employer of the deceased.

Avoid mesothelioma death

Lung cancer will have a cure in the future, but until then, there are lots of treatment methods that will help the patients and families to lead a normal everyday life. Recent mesothelioma chemotherapy drugs have proved to be effective in offering a longer and normal life to patients. Alternative treatment methods can help relieve the symptoms associated with mesothelioma, and some of them even offer a possible cure, but that has not been tested or registered yet.

Mesothelioma treatment methods, alternative or conventional, have been known to prolong the life of the patient long enough so that he or she passed away from natural causes, even though cancer and tumors were still present. That is the best that doctors can do for the present. There have been cases that were cured by the help of mesothelioma alternative treatments, but they have not been tested and no specific records about these cases are available.

Would you like to know more about mesothelioma survival and further statistics? Feel free to contact asbestosis and mesothelioma centers, absolutely free.

Mesothelioma Facts

2008-07-21T21:28:00.001-04:00

Mesothelioma Facts

Mesothelioma facts and figures may be shocking when you look at them all together. Consider the following mesothelioma facts:
An estimated 2,000 - 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
Approximately 3/4 of these cases are pleural mesothelioma, which occurs in the chest.
Most people who get mesothelioma have worked in jobs where they breathed in asbestos fibers at some point in their lives.
Mesothelioma can take 25 - 40 years to develop after the initial asbestos exposure.
Mesothelioma affects men 3 - 5 times more often than women.
Three-fourths of people with mesothelioma are over age 65.
The disease only metastasizes, or spreads outside the initial cancer area, in 5% of cases.
The average survival time after a person has been diagnosed with mesothelioma is one year.
The Environmental Workers Group (EWG) estimates that between 1979 and 2001, at least 43,000 Americans died from mesothelioma and an often-fatal non-cancer disease of the lungs called asbestosis.
The truth about asbestos has been known and mostly hidden from the American public since the early 20th Century.
Up to 8 million Americans may have been exposed to asbestos.
The use of asbestos has not been banned in the United States.
Many of these mesothelioma facts and figures may be surprising. If you or a loved one has been affected by this disease, you may wish to contact a mesothelioma lawyer today.

Mesothelioma Surgeries

2008-07-19T00:44:00.000-04:00

In some cases, surgery may be indicated to alleviate symptoms or slow the progression of mesothelioma. Surgery may be performed in tandem with other treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, also known as “multi-modal therapy.”

Whether a surgery is recommended in your case will depend on factors unique to your situation, including the type and location of the cancer, the “stage” of the cancer, and your overall health. Of course, whether your doctor recommends surgery in your case will depend on factors individual to your case.

Pleural Mesothelioma Surgeries

Thoracentesis

This procedure involves the draining of fluid that may build up (called a “pleural effusion”) in the chest between the lung and the pleura. A tube is placed in the chest in order to drain out the fluid. Thoracentesis is a “palliative” treatment, meaning that its purpose is to help relieve discomfort.

Pleurodesis

Pleurodesis is a surgical procedure to help control pleural effusion, which is the buildup of fluid between the lungs and the lung lining. Pleurodesis closes the space between the lung and the lung lining, reducing the chance for fluid to accumulate.
There are two approaches to performing a pleurodesis. In the first, a tube that is inserted into the chest drains the excess fluid. After this fluid is drained, a schlerosing agent (a substance that causes tissue to scar or harden), such as sterile talc powder, is injected through the chest tube and into the pleural space. The schlerosing agent is allowed to distribute itself through the pleural space, with the patient being asked to move about in order to facilitate the distribution. Once the agent is distributed, suction is applied to the tube in the chest. Similar to collapsing a plastic bag, the suction brings the two pleural surfaces together, allowing them to “scar” together.

The second method of pleurodesis uses thoracoscopy, whereby a small incision, or a series of small incisions, are made in the skin. A thoracoscope is passed through the incision in order to get a better look at the pleura. The schlerosing agent is then applied to the area.

Pleurectomy/Decortication

Pleurectomy/decortication involves removing the pleura, where most of the tumor is located. This procedure may help control pleural effusions (fluid build-up) and help to decrease the pain caused by the tumor. It is a palliative treatment, meaning that its goal is to help to lessen the discomfort caused by mesothelioma.

Pneumonectomy

A pneumonectomy is the removal of all or part of the lung. Your surgeon will make an incision in the side of the chest. When the lung is revealed, the surgeon visually assesses the tumor and decides how much tissue should be removed.

Extrapleural pneumonectomy

This extensive surgery usually involves the removal of the pleura, pericardium, diaphragm, and the whole lung on the side of the cancerous tumor. Your surgeon may decide to remove some of the surrounding tissues, as well.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Surgeries

Paracentesis

Peritoneal mesothelioma can cause fluid to build up in the abdomen in a process called peritoneal effusion. This excess fluid is drained through a needle and tube inserted into the abdomen. Paracentesis (sometimes called an “ascitic tap”) can help take the pressure off the internal organs, and also helps reduce the risk of infection that may be caused by the fluid buildup. This is a “palliative” procedure, meaning that the goal of paracentesis is to help to relieve the discomfort associated with peritoneal mesothelioma.

Peritonectomy

A “peritonectomy” involves removing the peritoneum, the lining of the abdomen where the mesothelioma first develops. This form of surgery is most often used when the cancer is detected in the very early stages of the disease. Your surgeon might recommend that a peritonectomy be performed in tandem with “intraperitoneal hypothermic perfusion,” a form of heated chemotherapy where the chemotherapy drugs are administered directly into the abdomen during and/or after surgery.

Cytoreductive (or “debulking”) surgery

During cytoreductive or debulking surgery, the surgeon opens the abdominal cavity (a procedure known as a “laparotomy”) to look for all signs of cancer and attempt to remove as much of the tumor as possible. This surgery can be quite long in duration because of the amount of detail the surgeon must use to search for and remove signs of cancer in the abdominal area. Your surgeon might recommend that this surgery be performed in tandem with “intraperitoneal hypothermic perfusion,” a form of heated chemotherapy administered into the abdominal cavity.

Pericardial Mesothelioma Surgeries

Pericardiocentesis

This is the process for drawing fluid out of the affected area to help to relieve the discomfort associated with pericardial mesothelioma. For this procedure, a needle is inserted into the pericardium (the sac around the heart) to drain the fluid and relieve circulatory problems. The draining of this fluid can be associated with complications, however.

Extrapleural pneumonectomy

An aggressive surgery also used in appropriate situations to treat pleural mesothelioma, an extrapleural pneumonectomy involves removal of the pleura, diaphragm, pericardium, and the entire lung on the side of the tumor.

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