MESOTHELIOMA

What is mesothelioma
The mesothelioma is a cancer which affects mesothelium - the lining which surrounds the lungs, the stomach, and the heart.

The only known and confirmed cause mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. It could occur when a person inhales/introduces microscopic asbestos fibres. These asbestos fibres make undergo a change the healthy cells of body in cancer during time.

Such at the risk of mesothelioma are people who are/were directly implied asbestos. These people could include asbestos minors, building contractors/renovators, workmen of shipyard, the workmen/mechanical of clutch/manufacture of brake. Even the close relations and the friends to such people are in danger because of the inhalation/d' ingestion indirect of asbestos.

The principal problem with the mesothelioma is that roughly takes 30 to 40 years after initial asbestos exposure to surface. At this hour cancer damaged serious and a treatment is not possible. The treatments available can only reduce the implied pain and prolong the life expectancy.

Types of mesothelioma
To be the three principal types of mesothelioma follow.

-- Pleural mesothelioma
-- Mesothelioma p�riton�al
-- Pericardial mesothelioma

The pleural mesothelioma affects the lining surrounding the lungs. More than 80% suffering of the mesothelioma are diagnosed with the pleural mesothelioma, making him the most common type of the mesothelioma. Almost all the clinical studies and tests concentrate on the pleural mesothelioma.

The mesothelioma p�riton�al affects the lining surrounding the stomach. It is a rare type of mesothelioma.

The pericardial mesothelioma affects the lining surrounding the heart. It is the rarest type of mesothelioma.

Treatments available for the mesothelioma
Once diagnosed with the mesothelioma, the surgeon will pass by the whole medical antecedents of the patient and will decide type of the treatment and drug. This will depend entirely on the stage to which the mesothelioma is diagnosed, and of the �ge/de physical health of the patient.

The treatments for the mesothelioma could include one or more following.

-- Surgery
-- Radiation therapy
-- Chemotherapy

Surgery for the mesothelioma
Once diagnosed the mesothelioma, the surgeon could choose the surgery. The surgery is not a treatment for the mesothelioma, but the assistances reduce the pain and reduce the diffusion of cancer, prolonging the life.

The options for the surgery of mesothelioma could include one or more following.

-- Pleurectomy
-- Pneumonectomy
-- Thoracentesis
-- Pneumonectomy Extrapleural

Pleurectomy
Pleurectomy, also known under the name of �hulling � is a process in which the surgeon will remove part of the infected lining of lung and trunk. This process helps by reducing the size of the cancerous tumour and also reduces the pain associated in the trunk. The principal goal of pleurectomy is to relieve the pain of palpitation, with the life expectancy remaining the same one or improving marginally.

Pneumonectomy
During a pneumonectomy, the surgeon will remove a whole affected lung and the surrounding fabric. As in a pleurectomy, this process also is made to relieve the associated pain, and is carried out only when cancer drew aside mainly.

Thoracentesis
Thoracentesis is a process from where the surgeon will drain the excessive fluid and around the lungs with the assistance of a needle. This is done to obtain the levels of the fluid to the normal, helping reduce the pressure on the lungs and to facilitate breathing.

Pneumonectomy Extrapleural
The pneumonectomy Extrapleural is a very complex process and will be carried out by the surgeon only in extreme cases. Added to this is the fact that the mesothelioma must be diagnosed early to carry out this surgery. This process implies to remove the whole lining surrounding the lungs, heart, and the diaphragm to be prevented promote the diffusion of cancer. This process is usually followed of radiation therapy and chemotherapy to kill all the resident invisible cancer cells. Even this process is not a treatment for the mesothelioma which is diagnosed early, but he will add much more years to the life of patients.

Radiation therapy for the mesothelioma
When the radiation therapy (also called the radiotherapy) is selected like mode of treatment for the mesothelioma, the surgeon will kill the cancer cells and will narrow the cancerous tumours using x-rays of great energy.

The radiation therapy supplements in the majority of the cases to another type of treatment. The problem with the radiation therapy is that it cannot focus above and kill only the cancer cells; it also aims and kills the perfectly normal human cells. In the majority of the cases the damage and the side effects caused by radiation therapy will be higher than the advantages.

Chemotherapy
In chemotherapy, chemicals are injected into the cancerous parts of the body. These chemicals have the possibilities to stop the multiplication/destroy the cancer cells.

Into the majority of the cases, the chemicals are injected into a vein or a muscle, travelling by the whole body. The specialists treating the mesothelioma could manage the chemicals directly in the pleural patients or the cavity p�riton�ale for better results.

Chemotherapy is usually followed undesirable side effects. The surgeon will prescribe the drug and to give deliver an opinion on reducing these side effects.

Therapy of combination for the mesothelioma
According to the situation, the surgeon can decide to combine two therapies or to obtain the best results more. The advantages of the therapy of combination will be better than that of a simple therapy, but it could also be very hard on the body, making it not very suitable for each one. It can be employed on the patients who are young, in good health, and can resist the undesirable side effects of this treatment.

Late treatments of mesothelioma
The mesothelioma affects much today, returning to him one of the most required diseases with a multitude of clinical tests moving. The surgeons employ the normal methods of treatment in combination with the new therapies and drugs which look at very promising. It is estimated it that these new treatments which currently undergo tests will only prolong the life after diagnosis from 12 to 18 months with roughly 5 to 10 years.

With the step and the advance of the clinical tests currently, the surgeons hope that a total treatment will be soon available for the treatment of the mesothelioma.