Is Mesothelioma a Lung Cancer?
The lining of your stomach (peritoneum) is also a potential site for mesothelioma. The disease is usually in its late stages, and symptoms can take up to 50 years to manifest.
Doctors make use of biopsies and imaging tests to diagnose mesothelioma. Treatment plans typically include surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation.
Pleural mesothelioma
The lining of the lung is usually affected by mesothelioma pleural. It is the most common mesothelioma type and patients tend to have a better prognosis than those who are diagnosed with other types of mesothelioma. For instance, peritoneal mesothelioma or pericardial mesothelioma.
If a patient complains of breathing problems, like breathing shortness or coughing doctors might suspect pleural asbestosis. They will order a series of tests to confirm the diagnosis, including x-rays CT scans, MRIs and blood work and the biopsy. To take a biopsy doctors insert a thin, light tube known as a thoracoscope into the chest and between two ribs.
Mesothelioma symptoms can mimic other diseases, making it difficult to identify the disease in the early stages. Some people experience no symptoms, and when they do exhibit symptoms they are often mistaken for pneumonia or other less serious diseases. The best chance of getting an accurate diagnosis is to see an expert in mesothelioma or visit an mesothelioma treatment facility. Mesothelioma specialists have more experience dealing with this rare disease and are able to recognize the symptoms more easily.
When a mesothelioma diagnosis has been confirmed, doctors will determine the best treatment options for each patient. They will look at the mesothelioma stage and the kind of cancer cells and the location they are. Patients with pleural mesothelioma that is in an earlier stage tend to have a better prognosis compared to those with mesothelioma that is later in its stage. This is because the cancer cells are still localized.
Patients with pleural msothelioma may benefit from chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. The palliative care option is also recommended to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life.
While mesothelioma can't be cured, it is treatable to prolong the time an individual lives. As with all types of mesothelioma it is essential to seek treatment as quickly as you can, so that doctors can get to work on creating a treatment strategy.
Peritoneal mesothelioma
The lining of the abdomen and chest cavity is affected by peritoneal cancer. Like pleural cancer symptoms include fluid accumulation and breathing issues, as well as discomfort. The patient may also experience vomiting and nausea. In addition to surgery and chemotherapy, a doctor may recommend palliative specialists to help manage symptoms and improve the quality of life.
Doctors diagnose peritoneal mesothelioma with imaging scans of the chest and abdomen. A biopsy can confirm the diagnosis. In a biopsy, doctors remove tiny pieces of liquid or tissue from the tumor to study under a microscope.
The most common sign of peritoneal mesothelioma is abdominal pain that feels scattered or restricted to one area. Other symptoms include a persistent cough, weight loss, and fever. The prognosis for a mesothelioma victim depends on a number of factors, such as the type of cancer and stage of the disease. The gender of a person can also affect their chances of survival. Females and women born have better results from peritoneal cancer compared to men and those who are male.
Changes (mutations) in the DNA of a cell, can cause mesothelioma. The mutation causes cells expand in uncontrolled ways. The cancerous cells can then form a tumor, or a collection of abnormal cells.
Most people with mesothelioma work in jobs which require exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a material that was previously used in construction, plumbing electrical work, and the auto industry. Asbestos exposure has been linked to mesothelioma.
Malignant mesothelioma is most often seen when it is advanced, which may make it difficult to treat. Mesothelioma is treated by surgery, chemo or radiation therapy. These treatments are designed to kill the cancer cells while not harming healthy cells. They can be used together to give patients a greater chance of a successful cure. Doctors will decide which treatment is the best for the patient's stage of cancer and general health, as well as personal preferences. They may also suggest new therapies that have proven to show promise in treating mesothelioma.
Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP)
Pleural mesothelioma patients fit enough to undergo surgery may benefit from the mesothelioma surgery known as extrapleural is mesothelioma cancer curable pneumonectomy. In this procedure, doctors remove the affected lung disease, as well as a portion of the mesothelioma-lining around it. In certain instances doctors may also remove the diaphragm as well as the pericardium. This is among the most efficient mesothelioma treatment options. Specialist mesothelioma physicians perform EPP in mesothelioma treatment centers across the United States.
Mesothelioma specialists usually perform a number of tests to determine if patients are able to undergo surgery. PET and CT scans, as well as mediastinoscopy are some of the tests that may be performed. These tests allow doctors to examine the tumors, and how far they have been able to spread. If the mesothelioma is too far to be surgically treated, doctors will use chemotherapy to shrink or stabilize tumors.
The aim of mesothelioma treatment is to prolong life expectancies and improve quality of living. Mesothelioma can be a lengthy delay and be difficult to detect in the early stages. Many patients already show symptoms when they are diagnosed.
Doctors advise patients to receive multiple treatment methods as part of a multimodal approach. The reason is that mesothelioma treatment by itself is not efficient. The combination of treatments increases the effects of each. For instance, radiation therapy can help reduce the size of a mesothelioma tumor prior to surgery which makes it easier to remove. Doctors have even considered using intense radiation before EPP (known as SMART), and this has extended the life expectancy of mesothelioma patients.
EPP is a complicated mesothelioma procedure that requires general anesthesia. When the anesthesia is in effect the surgeon will make a 9-inch incision on the chest's front, which is known as an a thoracotomy or sternotomy. The surgeon will then segregate the chest wall and lungs from the other organs.
This is a risky surgery and only patients with mesothelioma in good health and physically fit to undergo the procedure. After the procedure, patients are expected to spend several weeks in the hospital. They will need to recover at home or in a rehabilitation center.
Trimodality therapy
There are three standard treatments for mesothelioma: surgery radiation and chemotherapy. Doctors also may employ a combination of all three (called multimodality therapy). The mesothelioma type and the extent of its spread determines what treatment options the patients have.
The first step to treat mesothelioma is to obtain a precise mesothelioma diagnose from an expert. It can be difficult for doctors to recognize mesothelioma since cancer cells may appear normal looking cells. To confirm a diagnosis, a doctor will test fluid or tissue samples to detect mesothelioma. Doctors also use the patient's medical background to determine if mesothelioma is the probable cause.
The symptoms of mesothelioma can include chest pain, coughing and breathing difficulties. Doctors may request an X-ray or CT scan of the chest and lungs to look for abnormal thickening of the lung lining, calcium deposits and the accumulation of fluid. Doctors may also conduct a biopsy in which small amounts of tissue are removed from the tumor or adjacent tissue for analysis.
Other imaging tests doctors use to determine the stage of mesothelioma comprise the positron-emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging. These tests involve taking pictures of the body by using magnetic fields and radio waves. The mesothelioma cell absorbs the radioactive atoms during these tests, and they appear brighter on images than healthy cells.
If the mesothelioma has spread to the pleura (the lining of the lung) doctors can perform surgery to stop it. This could be an extrapleural pneumonectomy. an operation that is more intense and involves the removal of a portion of the diaphragm as well as the affected lung, or a pleurectomy with décortication (P/D). These surgeries are typically performed in conjunction with other treatment options for mesothelioma like chemotherapy or radiation.
Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells and improve a patient's quality of life. Pemetrexed is a chemotherapy drug used to treat pleural mesothelioma, can be administered either on its own or in combination with carboplatin and cisplatin. For peritoneal mesothelioma, chemotherapy is typically given intravenously. Patients are able to receive chemotherapy as an outpatient from Monday through Friday for 4-7 weeks.