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Lung Cancer Mesothelioma: Slowly Spreading Its Tentacles
Lung cancer mesothelioma is the common name for malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer that is not very responsive to therapy. Lung cancer mesothelioma is the deadliest of all asbestos related diseases. Medically speaking, lung cancer mesothelioma is ...
The Facts about Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare form of mesothelioma that accounts for approximately 20% of all mesothelioma cases. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the tissue lining the abdomen which is called the peritoneum hence the name of this form of the cancer. ...
What is Mesothelioma? - The Basics
What is Mesothelioma? Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that effects the lining of the chest, abdomen or heart. Most people who have or have had mesothelioma have been exposed to asbestos about 35-40 years before contracting the disease. Asbestos ...
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Before a patient is treated, a doctor will evaluate him or her, and afterwards decide which treatment method is most suitable for the patient's situation. The patient's age, medical history, general well being and even weight are taken into account before the doctor will decide which of the three treatments are most appropriate. These treatments are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Surgery
There are two different types of surgery that can be used one of which is called aggressive surgery. This is the most dangerous of all the treatment methods available and only the fittest of people are deemed strong enough to undergo this. Aggressive surgery consists of removing large chunks of cancerous cells from inside the patient. This is extremely dangerous in the case of pericardial mesothelioma seeing as the cancerous cells are in extremely close proximity to vital organs such as the heart and lungs. Extremely skilled surgeons are needed to perform this operation.
The second type of surgery is palliative
procedures and this type of surgery is used only for the purpose of reducing the symptoms of the cancer. Palliative procedures are performed when pericardial mesothelioma is in its latest stages and is practically impossible to cure.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the most well known cure of cancers and involves using drugs to kill of cancerous cells. However, many of the drugs used do not have a high success rate although researchers are discovering new combinations of drugs that work more effectively. Many pharmaceutical companies are also endeavouring to find new drugs. Researchers predict that they will soon discover a drug with a significantly improved success rate.
Radiation Therapy
This form of treatment uses doses of radiation to kill cancerous cells. However, in the case of pericardial mesothelioma this is extremely difficult because as well as damaging cancerous cells, the radiation also damages vital organs such as the heart and lungs. This makes using radiation therapy most effectively extremely difficult. The dose of radiation is usually too weak to make a significant impact on curing pericardial mesothelioma.
Dual Therapy
Dual therapy is just a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This consists of using surgery to remove the majority of the cancer cells and then using chemotherapy and radiation therapy to kill off any remaining cells. This has proved to be an effective treatment method however also very dangerous. Only the fittest young people are able to undergo this treatment.
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For more information on pericardial mesothelioma such as the risks, causes, symptoms and treatments go to:
http://www.pericardialmesothelioma.co.uk, http://www.pericardial-mesothelioma.co.uk and http://www.asbestos-resource.co.uk
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