Mesothelioma is a devastating cancer that is both aggressive and easily metastasized. Because it has only been recognized since the 1950s, there are not yet many treatment options specific to mesothelioma. Instead, patients diagnosed with this disease often opt for conventional mesothelioma treatment, which includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Unfortunately, though, mesothelioma has a very long latency period, meaning that it may not appear for 15-30 years after asbestos exposure. In fact, by the time you develop mesothelioma, you may have forgotten that you were indeed exposed to asbestos. This unexpected development of mesothelioma can allow it to spread throughout your body before you are even aware of its existence.
For people diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is often too late to completely remove the cancer and put you in remission. Instead, doctors rely on conventional mesothelioma treatment options to ease your pain and hopefully increase your lifespan with the disease.
One traditional treatment is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy includes drugs that are specifically targeted to cells that grow and divide at a certain rate. Because cancerous cells often grow and divide faster than most other cells, these drugs can destroy the cancer cells while leaving most of the rest of your body unharmed.
Next, you may also undergo radiation. Radiation can be administered with beams as well as implanted radioactive devices. Radiation kills the targeted cancer cells, or it can also help slow down the growth of the tumors.
Lastly, surgery is a popular option for mesothelioma patients as it can have a palliative effect as well as help prevent more metastasizing. Depending on the type of mesothelioma you have and the extent of your tumors, you may undergo several different types of surgery. Pleural mesothelioma patients can have surgeries such as pleurectomy or pneumonectomy, while peritoneal mesothelioma may require cytoreductive surgery.
If you have been exposed to asbestos or already diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is important to understand this deadly cancer as well as all of your treatment options. To learn more about asbestos and mesothelioma, please visit the Mesothelioma Resource Center today.
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