2 / 3 Mesothelioma Patients Survives first year after diagnosis

Researchers describe mesothelioma survival in several ways. They usually talk about it in terms of one-year survival: the percentage of people who survive for a year after diagnosis. Through their studies, they also look at longer survival times, the number of people who live two years, three years and five years.

About 40 percent of patients with mesothelioma survive the first year after diagnosis. That survival rate depends on many factors, including age, cancer stage, cancer type, race and gender. Long-term survivors attribute their success to treatment from a mesothelioma specialist, alternative medicine and nutritional change.

Mesothelioma claimed nearly 30,000 American lives between 1999 and 2010. About 40 percent of U.S. patients live to the one year mark. By the second year, about 20 percent of patients are still alive. And by the third year, the number is 8 percent.

What do we know about about Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that develops from cells of the mesothelium, the protective lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked in jobs such as miners where they inhaled or ingested asbestos fibers, or were exposed to airborne asbestos dust and fibers in other ways. Washing clothes of a family member who worked with asbestos also creates a risk for developing mesothelioma.

Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma:

Common symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include:

• Chest wall pain
• Pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue or anemia
• Wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
• Blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up (hemoptysis)
• Abdominal pain
• Ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
• A mass in the abdomen
• Problems with bowel function
• Weight loss

every sever form of symptoms are;

• Blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
• Disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
• Jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
• Low blood sugar level
• Pleural effusion
• Pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
• Severe ascites

How It is Diagnosed:

All patients have a unique path to a diagnosis, but the most important factors to an accurate diagnosis are imaging scans and biopsies. Doctors use several tests to diagnose malignant mesothelioma.

1. Image Scans
2. Biopsies
3. Blood Test
4. Staging

Types of Mesothelioma:

Pleural Mesothelioma: This type forms in the lining of the lungs. An increased incidence rate led to more studies to improve treatment methods and survival rates.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma:Peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the mesothelial lining of the abdomen, known as the peritoneum. Approximately 20 percent of all mesothelioma cases are peritoneal. 

Pericardial Mesothelioma: Pericardial mesothelioma develops on the exterior lining of the heart, known as the pericardium. This type of mesothelioma is rare and accounts for about 1 percent of all mesothelioma cases. Symptoms develop when fluid builds up in the spaces between the layers of the pericardium

Testicular Mesothelioma:Testicular mesothelioma develops in the tunica vaginalis, the lining of the testes. This is the rarest type of mesothelioma, accounting for less than 1 percent of all cases. Many patients are diagnosed while receiving surgery or treatment for another condition. Because of the rarity of this type, it has been difficult for medical researchers to come up with a complete list of symptoms. The two main indicators of this cancer are painless testicular lumps and swelling of the scrotum. This form of mesothelioma is usually not diagnosed until lumps develop. Testicular mesothelioma patients may undergo surgery to remove all or part of the affected testicle. Doctors sometimes recommend adjuvant therapy, which involves chemotherapy or radiation therapy after the surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells.

Treatment:

Treatment options for mesothelioma include surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Many specialists prefer to combine two or more of these treatments, an approach known as multimodal therapy. Clinical trials show this approach has improved survival rates.

Palliative treatments that ease symptoms are quite common for patients of all stages, and experimental therapies like immunotherapy show progress for the future. Additionally, many survivors tout less-traditional alternative treatments for helping them to live longer.

These legal options exist because of liability. Asbestos-related diseases are considered 100 percent preventable. Asbestos mining companies, manufacturers of asbestos-containing products, and employers who did not inform workers about potential exposure all could have some liability issue if they fail to prevent exposure to asbestos. Communicating with an experienced lawyer helps patients and families understand how legal options can help cover other damages.

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