mesothelioma therapy
Mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive form of cancer and each year there are between two and three thousand people are diagnosed. The number of new cases is expected to increase in the next ten years. There is only one known cause of cancer and that is exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos is a natural fibrous mineral, which was assessed by durability, fire resistance and insulating properties. It was widely used during the first three quarters of the twentieth century. There were many types of products manufactured during this time using asbestos fibers, including concrete, textiles and insulation.
Mesothelioma attacks the lining around the lungs, abdominal cavity and organs inside the body. There are three main types. The most common is pleural mesothelioma. This type occurs when asbestos fibers invade the cells of the membrane covering the lungs, known as the pleura.
The second most common type of this cancer is peritoneal mesothelioma, which attacks the peritoneum or membrane surrounding the abdominal organs. The rarest type of asbestos cancer is pericardial mesothelioma, which attacks the membrane surrounding the heart, or pericardium.
Treatment for this type of cancer has been very successful. Because asbestos cancer growth is so rapid, it is often not diagnosed until late stages of the disease, when the probability of survival of patients is poor. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are often given in combination with surgery. The chance of being cured by these treatments is small, and surgery and radiation are often used to simply to provide relief from pain and other symptoms. A fairly new type of chemotherapy called heated chemotherapy, shows some promise for peritoneal mesothelioma.
Chemotherapy drugs are heated and infused into the peritoneum, making it easier for cancer cells to absorb the chemicals and be killed by they. But unfortunately, for most people suffering from asbestos cancer, the prognosis remains poor.
Asbestos products were manufactured and used widely in the first three quarters of the twentieth century, despite the fact that the manufacturers knew about the health risks. Mesothelioma is often not discovered during years or even decades after exposure to asbestos fibers.
Asbestos is still found in many old buildings while putting many at risk exposure. Unfortunately, asbestos cancer remains a health threat for many years in the future, but with higher standards, not as it has been in the past.
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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – How Severe Is The Mesothelioma Disease?
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