Are There Any Promising Treatments For Mesothelioma?
Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is usually caused by the inhalation or swallowing of asbestos fibers.
If it affects the chest the physician might look inside the chest cavity with an instrument called a thoracoscope. If it affects the abdomen the physician might look inside the abdomen with an instrument called a peritoneoscope. If mesothelioma is suspected a sample is taken that is then diagnosed by a biopsy.
Like with most other types of cancer, the outlook for mesothelioma patients will depend upon how early it is detected and how aggressively it is treated.
One of the big challenges is that it usually takes anywhere from twenty to fifty or more years after asbestos exposure for the symptoms of the disease to become apparent. And by that time it is often in an advanced stage.
Therefore, mesothelioma victims will often succumb to the disease within one to two years after it has been diagnosed.
However, there is some hope for the victims of this life-threatening disease in that new approaches to treating malignant mesothelioma are now being tested. These treatments are often a combination of traditional treatments. Or they can include something that is entirely new.
Drug Therapy
There are a number of drugs that are now being studied that offer some promise in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma.