Is Mesothelioma Cancer? The short painful answer is yes. – it develops on the tissue of internal organs which is referred to as mesothelium. Most commonly, Mesothelioma attacks the lungs and chest. Although there is no known cure for this disease, patients are recommended to subject themselves to treatments which can decrease their pain.
There’s a standard treatment in these cases, but of course – if patients are willing to, they can try experimental procedures. Because of chronic pain and the severity of treatments, patients are likely to develop depression. However, everyone who suffers from this disease shouldn’t lose hope because various clinical trials and studies about mesothelioma are being conducted all around the globe for the purpose of finding a cure for cancer.
The Standard Treatment
Like with all cancer types, the most effective treatment can be applied with patients who have been diagnosed with this disease in the early stages. This is why all medical caregivers insist on regular physicals, so that they can fight the disease before it’s rooted in your system.
- Surgery
So, patients who are dealing with mesothelioma in its early stages will be recommended to undergo surgery as the start of the treatment. During this procedure, your surgeon will try to remove the infected tissue from the walls of the affected organs. In some cases, it’s necessary to remove a part of the lungs.
- Chemotherapy
The second stage of the standard treatment for patients who are diagnosed with mesothelioma is chemotherapy. Drugs used in this procedure are created to kill cells in the human body which are developing fast – like cancer cells. However, the rest of your organs will suffer the damage, but chemo is necessary to slow down and destroy the development of mesothelioma and, therefore, it’s necessary.
- Radiation Therapy
This type of therapy is used on mesothelioma and generally with patients who suffer from cancer because it can decrease the size of the affected tissue. When cancer cells are shrunk, it’s easier for surgeons to remove them. This also affects the amount of tissue that needs to be removed from your body – it gets smaller which is a lesser shock for the system of organs.
Experimental Alternatives
Considering the amount of studies and trials that are being conducted for the purposes of finding a treatment which will annul the cancer cells and eventually discover a cure with a hundred percent success rate, some promising solutions appeared.
For starters, there’s immunotherapy. It’s a procedure that makes the immune system of patients diagnosed with cancer stronger, and thus helps the human body fight the disease.
Another solution is gene therapy; it’s discovered that cancer is a consequence of a mistake in a person’s genes. So, if the faulty genes are rewritten and replaced with healthy chains, it’s theoretically possible that cancer cells can be extracted.
In the end, there’s also photodynamic therapy. Recently, it has been discovered that the proper usage of light can destroy cancer cells. Interestingly enough, this treatment doesn’t lead to unwanted damages, which makes it a probable cure for cancer.
Recommended Care
In severe cases, when a patient is diagnosed with mesothelioma in later stages, there’s not much to be done other than focusing on maximizing the quality of their life. So, a team of caregivers will make their priority to reduce the pain and enable patients to do everyday activities as much as possible.
For example, in cases where lungs are affected, it’s expected that certain fluids will cause problems with breathing. Other than suitable painkillers, doctors will do their best to remove the fluid by inserting a hollow needle in the chest and withdrawing the excess fluid. This procedure is called pleurocentesis.
In addition, and depending on the consequences, a patient will be advised to go through physical therapy that usually includes cardio and strength trainings, in order to increase the quality of their life and more easily deal with mesothelioma symptoms like fatigue.
As mentioned, experts all over the globe are dedicating their careers in order to finally discover the cure for cancer. Finally, it’s imperative for patients not to lose hope and to allow their team of specials to help them fight off this disease
