have an understanding of what is mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare
cancer of the linings of lungs and abdominal area caused by exposure
to asbestos fibers. It takes 30–40 years for this cancer to appear
after the asbestos exposure. It is important to treat this cancer in
the early stages otherwise it proves fatal. Various mesothelioma
treatments are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
There are two types of surgeries for mesothelioma treatments,
Aggressive Surgery and Palliative Procedures. Before performing any
surgery, it is necessary to check whether the heart and lungs are
functioning properly. Of the two types, aggressive surgery, also known
as Pneumonectomy, is complicated surgery performed on younger
patients, who are good in health and can bear the surgery.
Pneumonectomy involves the removal of extra pleural membrane. The main
purpose of this mesothelioma treatment is to physically remove as much
tumor as possible.
Palliative procedures of mesothelioma treatment are known as
Pleurectomy. It is done in the early stages of cancer. This process of
mesothelioma treatment involves surgical removal of pleura. However,
the procedures are involved to lessen and control the symptoms rather
than to cure the disease. This surgery reduces the pain caused by the
tumor mass and helps in preventing the recurrence of pleural effusion.
Complete removal of tumor is not possible with this procedure.
Chemotherapy is a mesothelioma treatment method that makes combined
use of certain drugs for shrinking the tumor. Though some patients
show only partial success to this method, some combinations of
chemotherapy drugs have proved successful. Scientists have developed
some new chemotherapy drugs for mesothelioma treatments.
Radiation therapy is the mesothelioma treatment method that makes use
of nuclear radiations to kill the malignant cells and shrink the
tumor. However, radiation therapy is an extremely difficult procedure.
It can damage the healthy cells of heart, lungs, and other vital
organs surrounded by radiation dosage. Dual therapy includes
chemotherapy and radiation therapy along with the combination of
surgery. This combination helps in killing any remaining tumor cells
left after surgery and in relieving symptoms such as pain.
Mesothelioma treatments can be very expensive. However the patients
suffering from mesothelioma and other asbestos based diseases can file
lawsuits for recovering damages medical expenses, loss of income, lost
earning capacity, pain and sufferings. The mesothelioma victims can
take help of expert asbestos attorneys to locate the defendants-
persons/companies responsible for causing asbestos exposure.
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