Sunday, December 20, 2009

Reasons For Negative Mesothelioma Prognosis

By Heidi Wingrain

Mesothelioma prognosis is not so encouraging in many cases. There are several reasons for this, which we would discuss here threadbare. As you know, mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the protective covering of vital organs. This covering, caller mesothelium, becomes infected due to continuous exposure to asbestos filled air at either workplace or from asbestos mines. However, the outcome varies from person to person depending on the stage of cancer at the time of detection, the age and overall health of the infected person and the ability of the body to respond to curative measures adopted.

The first reason for negative mesothelioma prognosis is that the disease lies inactive for several decades before the symptoms arrive. By that time the cancer may have even reached vital organs like lungs, abdomen or heart. Doctors categorize mesothelioma into four stages. The first two stages are relatively easy to treat, but the prognosis of stage 3 and 4 are not bright enough. In many cases, mesothelioma infection is detected only when the patient visits the clinic for other physical illnesses.

Finding expert physicians for treating the disease also meets with obstacles since mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer. Many cancer centers and specialists do not have the expertise to treat the infection. Researches are continued ceaselessly to find appropriate treatment for advanced stages of mesothelioma. Presently stage 3 and stage 4 patients are given treatment to lessen the pain and provide a soothing environment.

The pleural, the peritoneal and the pericardial are the three different types of cancer. Pleural mesothelioma is the most curable one, but is found in many people. In this case the infection affects the protective covering of the lungs. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are the treatment methods employed to treat this. The abdominal cavities get affected in peritoneal mesothelioma and are more dangerous than the pleural type. Pericardial mesothelioma is the third type and the most dangerous one. It affects the heart area and is a fatal infection. It is also seen commonly that some doctors diagnose the type of mesothelioma wrongly thereby making the situation more serious.

In the modern age, with the invention of modern treatments, mesothelioma prognosis has become better. The modern treatment includes multimodality treatment, gene therapy, photodynamic therapy etc. Ultimately survival depends on the response of the patients towards treatment and the type of cancer.

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