Saturday, October 3, 2009

Treatment from Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare, but very difficult form of cancer to treat. A diagnosis can often lead to a fatality within a year or two. Current forms of treatment meet with intermittent success, which is why many Mesothelioma patients consider more radical steps.

Mesothelioma is a cancer most associated with exposure to asbestos particles in the air. The particles are breathed into the lungs and become trapped in the area where the air is converted into oxygen in the blood. Over a long period of time, the lining of the lungs, the mesothelium, can be infested with cancerous tumors that can spread throughout the chest and abdomen.

The current treatment for Mesothelioma involves a three prong approach. The most common step taken is to pursue the surgical removal of infected areas. This is supported by radiotherapy wherein waves of radiation are shot into the infected area in an attempt to kill cancer cells and reduce tumor sizes. A third step involves chemotherapy in which anti-cancer drugs are often introduces intravenously to the blood stream in an attempt to also kill cancer cells.

The success rates of these three treatments are not great for Mesothelioma. They are effective, but the disease is usually discovered at such a late stage that no much can be done. Given this, many Mesothelioma patients turn to more aggressive approaches, particular clinical trials of other drugs.

The National Cancer Institute sponsors clinical trials on a host of treatments for all kinds of cancer. Mesothelioma certainly is one. As we speak, new drugs and treatments are being tested on the cancer. Some will work. Some will not. Faced with terminal cancer, many Mesothelioma patients are ready to roll the dice and rightly so.

If you, a friend or loved one has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, clinical trials may offer you the best possible treatment option. Your first step is to discuss trials with your doctor. You can then review possible trials at the website of the National Cancer Institute. Mesothelioma is sufficiently rare that you should be able to partake in just about any trial being undertaken. When things look very gloomy, such trials can be a source of hope.

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