Treatment Options

As with other cancers, there are multiple options for the treatment of mesothelioma.

At the current point in time, there are three options for treating mesothelioma:

1. Surgery

2. Chemotherapy

3. Radiation Therapy

Each of these have positives and negatives, and some are better suited to different cases over others.

1. Surgery:

With mesothelioma, the tumors and cancerous cells are often accessible through surgery, allowing for a surgical removal of those tumors and cells. This type of treatment aims to remove all of the cancerous cells, thereby eliminating the problem. If even one cell remains, however, that cell will simply multiply and grow back. In some cases, surgery requires a lung or other things to be removed, depending on the exact location and size of the tumor. This is most commonly done at the same time, as if it is not, the whole procedure can be for nothing.

Prior to surgery, an diagnostic surgery is usually performed to confirm that mesothelioma is present and confirm what stage the disease is in.

It should be noted that surgery on its own has not been found to be effective in curing the effects of mesothelioma. Because of this, it is currently performed in conjunction with other forms of treatment, such as immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and gene therapy. These three things are not stand-alone treatments yet, but are currently undergoing clinical trials, and would greatly compliment surgery.

2. Chemotherapy:

This form of treatment uses chemical substances to kill cancer cells, or to stop them from multiplying. There are various goals of this type of treatment, which vary depending on what stage the cancer is in when it is being treated. These goals are:

• to shrink tumors before other treatments, such as surgery
• to stop the spread of cancer or slow down its growth
• to relieve symptoms like pain (usually done in cases where reduction in the tumor size is not expected)
• to destroy microscopic cells which may still be present after surgery

Chemotherapy is usually given to a patient intravenously (through a vein). This allows for the drugs to enter the bloodstream quickly.

3. Radiation Therapy:

In this form of treatment, radiation is beamed at the cancer cells to kill them and impede the growth of the cancer. This is sometimes used in conjunction with surgery to kill the cells which may be left which were missed by the surgeon.

Along with these main methods of treating mesothelioma, there are new methods which are currently going through clinical trials, but are not yet widespread. These includes treatments such as immunotherapy, wherein the body's immune system is used to target the cancer cells and attack them. As I mentioned though, they are not commonly used at the present time.

What is it?

I suppose a good place to start this blog is with the question, "what is mesothelioma?".

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer. It is not very common, only affecting around 2000-3000 people in the United States each year. In the United States, the number of reported cases has stabilized, but across the world, numbers are still increasing. As a ratio of men to women, mesothelioma affects around 5 times as many men as it does women. This is not because of genetics, it is instead because men are more likely to be exposed to asbestos, which is the cause of the disease. Mesothelioma is rare in people under the age of 55, and as people get older, it becomes more common. This is because of the long latency period during which the disease can lay dormant.

As mentioned previously, mesothelioma is brought on by exposure to asbestos, a material that was commonly used in all sorts of things until the hazardous effects were fully realized. Asbestos is/was found in all manners of objects, from fire blankets to caulking, to insulation. Most of those who ever get this disease are people who have come into a great deal of contact with asbestos, but there are also cases of people being afflicted with the disease who came into lesser contact. For instance, wives who washed their husband's clothes which were covered in asbestos for years have come down with this disease. It also takes a scarily small amount of exposure to asbestos for the possibility of developing mesothelioma to arise. As little as a month or two of normal exposure can be enough to cause mesothelioma many years down the road. 

In the 1970's the Consumer Products Safety Commission banned the use of asbestos in wallboard patching materials as well as artificial ash for gas fireplaces,  as the harmful fibers could easily become airborne and taken in by people. In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency banned any new uses of asbestos. However, uses established prior to the ban were allowed to continue. Since then, many people have become aware of the dangers associated with asbestos, and usage has declined. It has not, however, stopped altogether, and until it does (and for many years afterwards), mesothelioma will continue to exist.

The disease itself exists in the pleura (a sac lining the chest), the lining around the pericardium (the lining around the heart), or the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity). Most people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma live around 12 months. The average 5-year relative survival rate is only about ten percent of those who are diagnosed with the disease.

So, like I said at the beginning of this post, I figured this was a good place to start. I figure most people who are visiting this blog will probably know most of this already, but for the benefit of those who don't know, you are welcome :). Check back soon for new posts!