Mesothelioma Treatment Centers

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Mesothelioma treatment centers provide the best treatment for mesothelioma they possibly can. First, mesothelioma is a deadly cancer which is caused by asbestos. The mesothelioma affects the protective covering of the lungs, abdomen, and heart. This vital covering is referred to as the mesothelium. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the abdomen while pleural mesothelioma affects the lungs. The leading cancer in terms of fatalities is pleural mesothelioma. This is because the asbestos that cause the cancer are mostly airborne. Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally and it is mined to be used to produce many products. It has very special properties which make it very suitable for this. Apart from being resistant to heat, it is also fire proof.

New York mesothelioma treatment centers offer traditional ways of healing as well as non traditional methods. The most common traditional ways of treating mesothelioma used in New York are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Not all mesothelioma cases have surgery as an option for treatment. The doctor will have to consider a few things before they decide surgery is suitable. If the tumors are very extensive, surgery may not work and it might even do more harm than good. If you qualify for surgery, the doctor will explain to you the various kinds of surgeries depending on the location of the cancer. The treatment is usually undertaken together with chemotherapy and radiation. This is referred to as 'multimodal' treatment and it is used for very severe cases.

Chemotherapy is the use of combination drugs to get rid of the cancerous cells. It is considered a very weakening therapy because of the side effects. You are also bound to loose hair while undergoing this treatment. Many drugs continue to be experimented on and sometimes, they are considered for chemotherapy. The use of high energy x ray is referred to as radiation and, what it does is to shrink the tumors and the radiation has some side effects which go away in a short while. The non traditional methods include photodynamic therapy. This therapy uses light and it is still in the experimental stage where the cancer cells are specifically destroyed by means of a fiber optic cable. New York mesothelioma treatment centers have this treatment but, only those who wish to be part of the experiment can participate.

Another non traditional way of treating mesothelioma is gene therapy which is also under clinical tests. This involves altering the gene of the cancer cells by means of injecting a 'suicide gene'. The cancer cells are targeted on their own unlike in chemotherapy. The New York mesothelioma treatment centers will give you more information on this topic. The university of Pennsylvania is researching on gene therapy. Immunotherapy is another treatment of mesothelioma that is also in the pipeline it is said to be very promising and it works by enabling the immune system to fight the cancer cells. There is no doubt that the future looks bright and in the cure for mesothelioma might just be around the corner. Meanwhile you can get the treatment available to manage the disease.

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Mesothelioma Treatment Stages

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Mesothelioma is the term used for a cancerous tumor, which involves the mesothelioma cells of lungs, heart or abdominal organs. Medical specialists in mesothelioma provide treatment to the patients after assessing the stage of the mesothelioma in their specific case. They analyze the location of the cancer, the level to which it is spread and the patient?s age and general health condition.

Malignant mesothelioma is a disease in which the malignant cells are found in the sac that lines the chest or abdomen. There are four stages of malignant mesothelioma. The first stage is localized mesothelioma and the remaining three are considered advanced stages of mesothelioma. Localized mesothelioma is the phase wherein the cancer is discovered in the lung, diaphragm or in the lining of the chest cavity. The patients in their first stage of mesothelioma get their cancer surgically removed by pleurectomy or decortication or extrapleural pneumonectomy.

In the second stage, the cancer is detected to have spread beyond the lining of the chest cavity. In the third stage, the tumor growth spreads into several areas that include chest wall, center of the chest, heart, and throughout the diaphragm. The treatment in the second, third and fourth stages of mesothelium are done in tandem with supportive care. The treatment for these advanced stages focuses on providing a patient with relief from symptoms, as total cure is generally not achieved. The treatment methodology includes thoracentesis that removes fluid accumulation in the chest cavity, operations to remove the tumor and radiation therapy or chemotherapy aimed at easing symptoms.

In the fourth stage, the cancer is in the process of distant metastasis, which implies that it has spread to other organs and tissues far from its site of origin in the pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial mesothelium. Patients suffering from the fourth stage should enroll themselves in clinical trials that evaluate the newest treatment possibilities in large medical centers. Pain management is an essential aspect of the care of such patients. It is important for patients to know that medications are available to effectively treat pain due to mesothelioma. They should request pain medications or discuss pain control problems with their cancer care team.

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Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment Of Epithelioid Mesothelioma

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Mesothelioma is a serious cancerous disease with low survival rates in spite of various new treatment options which have helped in increasing the longevity. Statistics indicate that the average survival period after diagnosis is about one year. The period might increase up to two years if the treatment is done aggressively. It has been found that more than 95% cases, mesothelioma occurs due to asbestos exposure.

Most people were earlier unaware of the danger caused by asbestos exposure as the mesothelioma occurs after about 20 to 40 years after being exposed to asbestos. Owing to this reason, this disease was also called as an `old person's disease' as people in 60's or 70's usually contract this disease. Higher prognosis help patients undergo better treatment and in turn better life expectancy.

Epithelium is a tissue separating different regions of the body. Like in the case of epithelial cells found in the skin detaches the outside of the body from the inside of the body. This serves varied responsibilities like protection, absorption, filtration, excretion, secretion or sensory reception.

Causes and symptoms:

The most common cause of epithelioid mesothelioma is asbestos exposure where the fine particles and which are found thrown in the air either through sawing or cutting. In epithelioid mesothelioma the membrane lining of chest cavity, lungs, heart or abdominal cavity gets affected. In the case of epithelioid mesothelioma the survival period of the patient is about eight and a half months.

The rate at which people suffering is as much as 50% to 70% of all cancer cells making it the most common type. It is identified based on the unique and organized cell structure which has tubular pattern with a specific cell nucleus. Usually there is a misdiagnoses of the disease as the cells in other forms of cancer look quite similar to epithelioid cells as adenocarcinoma is a type of cancer which is often confused with epithelioid mesothelioma.

Distinguished by a papillary or tubular growth, is the most common subtype of mestothelioma, there are many abnormal histological variants which have also been found which include adenomatoid and deciduoid patterns or tumors composed of small cells or mucin-positive cells, apart from mesothelioma with lepidic intrapulmonary growth.

Symptoms

Symptoms can occur after more than 40 to 50 years of being exposed to asbestos. It is most of the time mistaken for a common bout of asthma, pneumonia or bronchitis due to symptoms of chest pain and breathlessness. Patients can have a cough, weakness, tiredness along with inability to absorb nutrition causing weight loss. Also the most common is the collection of fluid inside the pleural space called pleural effusion.The breathlessness is caused when the tumor does not allow the lungs to expand and when it spreads further it results in severe chest pain.

Diagnosis

A thorough diagnosis is needed prior to any kind of treatment for mesothelioma. As the latency period of this disease's appearance of the symptoms early diagnosis becomes a difficult proposition. It is usually done only at the advanced stage leading to a survival rate of about 8 to 9 months.

To find out whether an individual has to undergo various diagnostic tests like X-ray, MRI, CAT Scan, Transbronchial biopsy where a scope is passed through the trachea to the bronchi area of the lungs, thoracotomy where the chest is opened and checked between the ribs for any tumor, thoracoscopy where a video camera is used to check between the ribs or Centesis where pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial fluid is removed.

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Alternative Mesothelioma Treatment

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People are on the lookout for alternative mesothelioma treatment due to the complex nature and deadliness of mesothelioma. Not only patients, but researchers and doctors are trying to find out new ways to treat mesothelioma. 'Alternative' refers to the use of different methods from the traditionally accepted. Most alternative mesothelioma treatments are not scientifically approved but certain treatments have found to give relief to patients and certain others are found to be of no use. Intraoperative Photodynamic Therapy (IPT), Immunoaugmentative Therapy (IAT) and Gene Therapy are some of the important alternative mesothelioma treatments in modern medicine.

Alternative treatments attack the mesothelioma cancer quite aggressively, with few or no side effects. It works by training the patient's immune system to recognize and destroy the tumor tissue. The method relies on cancer vaccines to stimulate the patient's immune system and destroy tumor cells. Immunoaugmentative Therapy (IAT) works by strengthening and balancing four different proteins found in the blood. Special drugs are administered to kill cancer cells in Intraoperative Photodynamic Therapy (IPT). The drug makes cancer more sensitive to light. Several days before the surgery, it is injected into a vein. A special light is used to detect cancer during surgery. IPT is basically used in the early stages of mesothelioma in the chest. Mutilated genes, which cause mesothelioma, are either replaced or removed in gene therapy. This treatment is at its infant stage but is a promising treatment.

Some types of alternative treatments have been practiced for generations but do not have any scientific backup. Homeopathy is used as an alternative system. An example of homeopathic treatment in mesothelioma is the use of Iscador from mistletoe. Iscador is an herbal medicine used to boost the body's immune system. Specific diet therapy, rich with vitamins and minerals, and metabolic therapy are other types of alternative treatment. Cow or shark cartilage is used as a food supplement in some treatments. Essiac is an herb supplement used. Bach flower is used in aromatic treatment. Other examples of alternative medicine are faith healing, vitamins, herbs, and supplements sold in your local drugstore.

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Mesothelioma Treatment Forums

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Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos, a mineral mostly found in various industrial products. It is believed that many people, who are afflicted by mesothelioma, are not even aware of it. There are many local and national mesothelioma treatment forums that conduct free tests on people showing symptoms of the disease. Mesothelioma patients seek immense psychological and social support through such treatment forums.

There are many people who show significant symptoms of mesothelioma and are advised to take proper treatment. Nevertheless, in prevailing conditions of poverty, ignorance or inaccessibility to good medical treatment, many patients are deprived of a normal treatment that could reduce symptoms or relieve the pain caused by mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma treatment forums extend their help to patients of endometriosis of all age groups. They provide information on the disease and its hazardous consequences, if left untreated. Patients are updated about recent medical developments pertaining to the treatment of the disease and are recommended, new techniques and medicines. Many forums also help patients to get connected with renowned physicians from around the globe.

Mesothelioma treatment forums are a platform for patients in receiving mental support that helps them cope with the disease. The forums also brief family members and friends of patients about the various stages of the disease. They are advised on precautions that can be taken to minimize the effects of the disease. Many patients with initial symptoms of mesothelioma also participate in these forums to gain information about the disease, shared during interactive educational presentations on mesothelioma.

In addition to the national forums, there are many online support and chat forums that educate people about mesothelioma and share the experiences of others who are afflicted with the disease. The key objective of these forums is to provide sound ways of medical treatment to patients in different corners of the world. They help enlighten patients and their relatives/ friends about the seriousness of the disease and the benefits of timely treatment.

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