Options To Improve Mesothelioma Life Expectancy
Article by Robart Alex
The body is not able to fight asbestos inhalation or ingestion because of the nature of the asbestos dust and its fibers. The extent of internal damage strongly depends on when the diagnosis is made (at which phase) and the available and affordable treatment of mesothelioma. The chances of a better life expectancy are possible if the diagnosis is made early. The tumors spread throughout the body when a late diagnosis is made and then there is no alternative but to go in for pain relief treatment which is also one of the main treatment options.
Malignant mesothelioma is caused due to constant exposure to asbestos contained materials. The affected person may display obscure health problems once affected. With the advancement of the disease, the treatment becomes very difficult and life expectancy gets shortened. To improve mesothelioma life expectancy, early diagnosis and treatment becomes indispensable.
Chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy is one form of treatment for improving mesothelioma life expectancy. Two or more drugs may be administered at the same time. Cancer cells get destroyed in chemo treatment. Chemotherapy is also used to help shrink a tumor and also destroy cancer cells that almost always remain after surgery. It also helps subsequent immunotherapy and radiation to work better. Sometimes surgery is not an option and if the cancer cells have spread from the original tumor to the rest of the body, chemotherapy is the only way out. However, there are various discomforting side effects of chemotherapy.
Radiation therapy:
Radiation is another treatment to improve mesothelioma life expectancy and is given in a very high dose. It destroys tumors and reduces the spread of malignant mesothelioma. Several types of radiation are used in different ways to help in the treatment of the cancer. Radiation is also used for pain relief while treating other cancers, but not without its side effects.
Surgery and other therapies:
Parts of the body which are cancerous due to malignant mesothelioma have to be removed through surgery. The limitations and implications of surgery also depend upon where the cancer is primarily present. Along with the other treatment options, surgery is popularly used in conjunction. Before the cancer spreads throughout the body, surgery may be an effective option.
There are a number of therapies adopted in the research and trial stages. Immunotherapy is being investigated, where the immune system of the body is stimulated to fight back. The cancer vaccine is the main support of the active immunotherapy procedure. Passive immunotherapy involves the administration of immune system components outside of the body.
Another important development at the research stage is gene therapy. Mesothelioma causes a lot of damage to the DNA and this only complicates the methods of finding specific genes hat could actually help in tracking and killing the mesothelioma cancer cells. Nevertheless, research is on and it does show some promise.
Photosensitizing drugs are administered into the body intravenously in the photodynamic treatment option. To treat the cancerous cells, a fixed frequency light is used and the drugs are targeted at the cancerous cells. There are certain side effects to this treatment too.
About the Author
Sometimes, but not always, mesothelioma life expectancy and malignant mesothelioma is caused due to exposure to asbestos containing materials. Exposure could take years to manifest – literally 20 to 40 years for the first signs to surface.