Mesotheloma Prognosis

By Yachi Verma

The word meaning of the term prognosis is outcome. Mesotheloma prognosis can be tough for some of the patients. The rest of the ensemble inspires hope into the mind of the patient. The outcome of mesotheloma depends on how the body is responding to the treatment.

Mesotheloma is similar to the other embodiments of cancers. The doctor can start the mesotheloma prognosis only after the condition has been examined. Here lies the problem; the condition cannot be diagnosed that easily. It is usually during the advanced stages of the cancer, that tests will reveal that the patient is truly suffering from mesotheloma. Most of the doctors falter at this stage itself, because if timely medication is not provided, the survival chances are thin. Once the condition has been successfully diagnosed, then the doctor can start working on the mesotheloma prognosis.

There are various factors affecting the mesotheloma prognosis. The location where mesotheloma is known to occur plays a pivotal role in the entire process. The rest of the forms of asbestos cancers are also equally fatal. If the condition is found out by suitable tests during the initial phases, with appropriate surgical and therapy sessions, the patient can be saved.

The cancer cells are known to spread to the surrounding cells or migrate to a different location and start attacking the normal cells present in the region. This happens during the later stages and plays an important role in the mesotheloma prognosis. The condition is known to occur with other forms of associated symptoms. The smoking and the drinking habits of the patient will also influence the mesotheloma prognosis largely.

The patient has to actively take on the medication sessions without fail. Never lose hope, because in the absence of hope, the chances of recovery are slim. The family members should be supportive of the patient at all times. The usual survival rate as published by some of the eminent journal is just 10 percent. People who are undergoing treatment for mesotheloma are known to live approximately five to six years after the initial detection.

Mesotheloma is a deadly condition that is marked by the growth of cancerous cells on the mesothelum. Treatment procedures are in existence, but many factors decide the affectivity of the treatment options. Mesotheloma is known to occur in stages. If the condition is diagnosed at an earlier stage, then there is room for survival. Moreover, the chances are slight. Let us ponder over some of the available treatment options.

The procedure involves removing the cancerous cells from the regions affected using suitable surgical measures. The surgery might be the direct cause of malignant forms of mesotheloma as seen on some of the patients. For example, benign mesotheloma can transform to pleural mesotheloma when certain surgeries go complicated.

The second form of mesotheloma treatment is chemotherapy. The treatment procedure is simple - chemicals are injected to the body of the patient. The doctor might recommend chemotherapy when surgical procedures do not work out to be feasible for the patient. If it does not, the treatment is futile.

When chemotherapy is not working as intended, doctors shift to another form of mesotheloma treatment. Specialized rays are used in this procedure to burn away the cancer causing cells. Doctors usually subject the patient to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The above-mentioned treatment options are used in conjunction according to the extent of growth of the cancer cells.

As I had mentioned earlier, once the condition is diagnosed, the treatment options can be started. These days, doctors make use of SMRP tests to diagnose the condition. If the presence of this compound is revealed in the blood tests, then doctors may urge for more advanced tests to assimilate the situation. It is better to discuss with the doctor about the mesotheloma prognosis and reach to a suitable decision.

Types of Mesotheleoma

Types of Mesotheleoma

By Archana Sarat

Mesotheleoma is a disease in which the mesotheleum cells divide uncontrollably. This abnormality in the mesotheleum cells leads to mesotheleoma. It may be cancerous or non-cancerous. When it is malignant, the cancer spreads all over the body.

The most important reason why many people are affected by this disease is the exposure to asbestos. Even exposure to few asbestos fibers can lead to this disease. However, many people do not realize that their exposure to asbestos has lead to this situation. A high level of care and caution is necessary to help prevent this disease.

Researches have also proved that people, who smoke, succumbed to this disease faster than non-smokers. So, a mixture of asbestos exposure and smoking can be doubly harmful. Mesotheleoma is a rare type of lung cancer. The main cause of mesotheleoma is exposure to asbestos fibers. It is also very difficult to diagnose this disease because the symptoms are very similar to other benign diseases like pneumonia.

Mesotheleoma is a disease that affects the mesotheleum or lining that forms a protective layer around the abdomen, lungs, heart and some few other parts of the body. The mesotheleum cells divide rapidly during this disease. This abnormal development of mesotheleum cells is caused due to exposure to asbestos fibers. People who have worked in asbestos industries or lived around asbestos industries and their families are more prone to get this disease.

There are three main types of mesotheleoma. Around 75 % of mesotheleoma cases are pleural and 20% are peritoneal or pericardial. There are also some other rare types of mesotheleoma that affect the remaining 5%.

Pleural Mesotheleoma:

Among the various types of cancer, mesotheleoma accounts for only a small percentage. However, among the various types of mesotheleoma, pleural mesotheleoma accounts for nearly three-fourth of the documented cases.

Symptoms:

Patients of pleural mesotheleoma face acute chest pain. Since the symptoms of this disease are similar to pneumonia, it is often confused with this disease. There is no known cure for pleural mesotheleoma. There are two types of pleural mesotheleoma - cancerous and non-cancerous. This makes it very difficult for many people to link the disease to asbestos exposure.

Pleural mesotheleoma is caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. When the asbestos fibers settle in the mesotheleum lining, the mesotheleum cells start showing abnormal behavior, thereby leading to mesotheleoma.

Mostly, when mesotheleoma is detected, the patients are in the final stages of cancer with only a few months or years left. Mesothelioma is a terrible killer disease. Proper tests and efforts must be taken by the medical fraternity to detect the disease as soon as possible.

Peritoneal Mesotheleoma:

Peritoneal Mesotheleoma is a very rare disease. Around 10-20 % of the documented mesotheleoma cases are diagnosed with peritoneal mesotheleoma. This type of mesotheleoma affects the abdomen of the patient. The mesotheleum cells of the abdomen behave abnormally in this disease. This disease is also caused by the oral inhalation of asbestos fibers. The main symptoms of peritoneal mesotheleoma are severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, fever, chest pain, loss of weight and breaking difficulties. The main risk factor for contracting this disease is exposure to asbestos fibers, and asbestos dust.

Pericardial mesotheleoma:

The most rare form of mesotheleoma is the pericardial mesotheleoma; it affects the mesotheleum linings of the heart. The main symptoms of pericardial mesotheleoma are chest pain, breathing difficulties, fever, palpitations, tiredness and cough. The pericardial lining of the heart is removed to reduce the symptoms. The heart is the most fragile part of the body. The earliest symptoms are tiredness, chest pains, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties and persistent cough.

The heart condition worsens and the patient may be affected by a stroke or heart attack. Death becomes the solution and salvation that the mesotheleoma patients crave for. The persons most likely to get this disease are those who face constant exposure to the risk factors like

• Shipyard workers
• Asbestos industries' laborers and miners.
• Zeolite industries' laborers and miners.
• Construction site workers.
• Fire poof materials manufacturers
• Cement mixers
• Painters

Not only the above groups of people are having a high chance of contracting the disease but also their families run a risk of contracting this disease. The workers when they return home carry the asbestos dust and asbestos fibers in their clothing and their families may be exposed to the disease.