A Mesothelioma and Asbestos Information and Treatment Center Resource
To date, there is no available mesothelioma cure. Mesothelioma is a cancer that is caused by toxic levels of exposure to asbestos. This disease can remain latent for many years, and by the time it is diagnosed in a victim, it is very difficult to treat. Mesothelioma affects the lining that covers and protects the internal organs. By the time this cancer is discovered, it has usually spread significantly. If diagnosed early, surgery may be an option that can make a mesothelioma cure possible. Radiation and chemotherapy can help after surgery in producing a mesothelioma cure.
In many cases, surgery is not a mesothelioma cure option. Many cancer treatment options are not very effective in treating mesothelioma. Though not a mesothelioma cure, a study conducted in 2002 did find that chemotherapy did help improve survival odds and decrease mesothelioma symptoms in some patients. Supportive treatment such as pain relief and oxygen can also help to reduce symptoms, though these measures are also not a viable mesothelioma cure.
Once mesothelioma is diagnosed the chances of a mesothelioma cure are slight and often the prognosis is not very good. The average mesothelioma patient is a male between the ages of 50 and 70. By the time he is diagnosed, he will have an average of four to eighteen months to live. Half of all patients who have a greater chance at a mesothelioma cure will make it two more years, and about twenty percent will live for five years following diagnosis.
Mesothelioma is a malignant disease that can affect the lining of any internal organ. Most often the pleural lining of the lungs and/or the peritoneal lining of the organs in the abdominal cavity are affected. The plural lining of the lungs is affected when harmful amounts of asbestos are inhaled. When symptoms do develop they may include difficulty breathing, chest pain, and a chronic cough.
Peritoneal mesothelioma can affect the lining of the organs inside the abdominal cavity. Often the tissues swell and fluid collects in the affected organ's surrounding membrane. This can cause pain or swelling in the abdominal area. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include anemia, swelling of the feet, nausea, bowel movement problems, weight loss, fever, and night sweats.
Doctors and researchers are currently searching for more effective mesothelioma treatment options and hope to find a mesothelioma cure. Clinical studies are conducted around the world in an effort to find a mesothelioma cure. In the mean time, patients who suffer from mesothelioma are faced with a bleak prognosis and expensive medical bills.
If you or someone you love is suffering from mesothelioma, you have the legal right to seek reparation for medical expenses, loss of income, and pain and suffering. A qualified attorney is your best advocate in maximizing your rights in a mesothelioma lawsuit.
For more information on mesothelioma cures and treatments, please Contact a Mesothelioma Attorney who is familiar with other mesothelioma cases.