Mesothelioma – Mesothelioma Treatment

To date, there is still no cure for mesothelioma and although there are treatments available to deal with the symptoms of mesothelioma, it is unclear whether they significantly change the life expectancy of patients. Some hospitals specializing in cancers are able to increase the survival rate by five years, but this depends on the aggressiveness of the treatment and what stage mesothelioma has reached when treatment is commenced.

There are three types of treatment currently available for workers suffering from malignant mesothelioma: surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Surgery will remove the invasive tumors, and chemotherapy and radiation treatment will try to eradicate the cells that may cause the cancer to recur. In most cases, two or three of the treatments need to be combined to be effective. However, many of the treatments simply relieve symptoms and alleviate pain, especially when these are caused by the tumors, and they do not yet offer a cure.

The effectiveness of the treatments varies greatly depending on the stage of mesothelioma and how early it has been diagnosed. Because of this, it is important to be tested annually if you believe that you have been exposed to asbestos. This is especially important, since some people may not develop any symptoms or illnesses for years after they have been exposed to asbestos.