Mesothelioma: After The Diagnosis

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, shock may be one of the first emotions you feel. Fear and anxiety may be close to follow. Understanding treatment and prognosis is the first step to cope with the condition.

Mesothelioma Treatment

Treatment for mesothelioma will depend on where the cancer originated, the stage of the disease and the patient’s preferences. In most cases, a combination of different types of treatment will be recommended. 

Chemotherapy involves administering certain combinations of medication to kill the cancer cells. It is most often administered orally or intravenously.

Surgery to remove tumors is also sometimes used to treat mesothelioma. Surgery may involve removing some of the lining around the lung or abdomen. If cancer is present in a portion of the lung, it may be removed. Radiation therapy, which uses high energy, may also be used to treat certain types of mesothelioma.

In some instances, if the cancer is advanced, treatment may still be given as palliative care. Palliative care involves treatment, which may not be done to cure the condition, but to ease symptoms. For example, fluid may be removed from the abdomen or chest to ease discomfort.

Some patients’ may also decide to become involved in a clinical trial for mesothelioma. Clinical trials involve undergoing treatment, which is still in the investigative or research stage. If you are interested in clinical trials, your doctor can provide more information.  

After an initial diagnosis, an oncologist will discuss all treatment options and the advantages and drawbacks of each. Ways to reduce treatment side effects and deal with pain for the disease should also be covered.    

Understanding The Mesothelioma Prognosis

Prognosis varies based on several factors. The age of the patient, underlying health issues and the stage of the disease all affect prognosis. The type of mesothelioma also is a big factor is prognosis. Certain types of mesothelioma may have a better prognosis than others. For example, the average survival rate for people with pleural mesothelioma is seventeen months from the start of symptoms, which is a better survival rate than other forms of the disease.  

Peritoneal mesothelioma tends to have a poorer prognosis than plural mesothelioma. The average survival rate is about ten months from the onset of symptoms.

It is difficult for experts to predict prognosis for people with pericardial mesothelioma. Because this types of cancer is considered extremely rate, accurate survival statistics are not available.

After a cancer diagnosis, one of the first questions which may come to mind is what the survival rate is. Reading about cancer stats can be frightening and paint a pretty bleak picture in some situations.

See Also: Managing And Treating Persistent Asthma

Statistics rarely are broken down by age range or factors, such as whether additional medical problems are present. For instance, a patient in their 50s who is otherwise healthy, may have a better prognosis than a patient who is 80 years old and has co-morbidities, such as heart disease. Try not to focus too much on stats alone.