Diagnosis and Treatment of Mesothelioma
Diagnosis of mesothelioma involves a series of tests which ultimately must be confirmed with a biopsy. Because it can take 20 to 50 years to develop symptoms, mesothelioma is often quite advanced by the time a patient seeks medical help. There is no cure for mesothelioma, but medical advances have made it possible for some patients to achieve a five year survival if the cancer is caught in its earliest stages. Most patients are still expected to die within a year of diagnosis.
If you suspect that your symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma you must talk to your doctor right away and tell him if you have ever been exposed or may have been exposed to asbestos. You have a very narrow window of time after symptoms become noticeable to begin treatment and have some chance of beating back the effects of mesothelioma and significantly extending your life.
Diagnosing Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma screening is performed in stages starting with the least invasive and moving forward as the tests and evaluations continue to indicate that you may have the cancer.
- Discussion with your doctor and review of your medical history
- Physical examination during which your doctor will listen to your lungs for crackling and high pitched sounds of pleural mesothelioma if that type of mesothelioma is suspected
- Imaging tests which can include X-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET)
- Lung functions test if pleural mesothelioma is suspected
- Minimally invasive surgery that allows your doctor to look inside your chest cavity (thoracoscopy) or your abdomen (peritoneoscopy)
- Biopsy – sampling of tissue for examination under a microscope, this may be accomplish during thoracoscopy, peritoneoscopy, or in a separate procedure
Treating Mesothelioma
There is no cure for mesothelioma yet, but treatment can extend your life, slow the progression, and improve your quality of life. New treatments are being studied and developed. There have been significant improvements in mesothelioma over the years and there is still hope that we will one day have a cure.
- The traditional mesothelioma treatments are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. They may be used alone or in combination.
- Photodynamic therapy uses a special type of light to target and kill the cancer cells.
- Active immunotherapy stimulates your immune system to attack the cancer cells.
- Passive immunotherapy improves your immune system’s response to cancer.
- Clinical trials are an option for some mesothelioma victims to take advantage of the most groundbreaking treatments. For instance, several types of gene therapy are still in development and look very promising.
Mesothelioma patients also need extensive treatment for their pain and discomfort. Pain killers alone are not sufficient and must be used in combination with other pain management techniques such as meditation, massage therapy, and acupuncture.
Our mesothelioma attorneys understand that mesothelioma is a death sentence and we work hard to get full compensation for our clients and their innocent families. Serious problems like this calls for serious solutions. Please e-mail or call 1-877-LOSS-RECOVER (567-7732) today. All consultations are FREE and our lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means that you pay NOTHING until your case is WON!