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Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells are found in the sac lining the chest (the pleura) or abdomen (the peritoneum). Most people with malignant mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they breathed asbestos.

A doctor should be seen if a person has shortness of breath, pain in the chest, or pain or swelling in the abdomen. If there are symptoms, the doctor may order an x-ray of the chest or abdomen.

The doctor may look inside the chest cavity with a special instrument called a thoracoscope. A cut will be made through the chest wall and the thoracoscope will be put into the chest between two ribs. This test, called thoracoscopy, is usually done in the hospital. Before the test, the patient will be given a local anesthetic (a drug that causes a loss of feeling for a short period of time). Some pressure may be felt, but usually there is no pain.

The doctor may also look inside the abdomen (peritoneoscopy) with a special tool called a peritoneoscope. The peritoneoscope is put into an opening made in the abdomen. This test is also usually done in the hospital. Before the test is done, a local anesthetic will be given.

If tissue that is not normal is found, the doctor will need to cut out a small piece and have it looked at under a microscope to see if there are any cancer cells. This is called a biopsy. Biopsies are usually done during the thoracoscopy or peritoneoscopy.

The chance of recovery (prognosis) depends on the size of the cancer, where the cancer is, how far the cancer has spread, how the cancer cells look under the microscope, how the cancer responds to treatment, and the patient's age.

Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment

There are treatments for all patients with malignant mesothelioma. Three kinds of treatment are used:

Surgery (taking out the cancer)

Radiation Therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells)

Chemotherapy (using drugs to fight the cancer)

Surgery is a common treatment of malignant mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. Depending on how far the cancer has spread, a lung also may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy) or from putting materials that produce radiation (radioisotopes) through thin plastic tubes in the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).

If fluid has collected in the chest or abdomen, the doctor may drain the fluid out of the body by putting a needle into the chest or abdomen and using gentle suction to remove the fluid. If fluid is removed from the chest, this is called thoracentesis. If fluid is removed from the abdomen, this is called paracentesis. The doctor may also put drugs through a tube into the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. In mesothelioma, chemotherapy may be put directly into the chest (intrapleural chemotherapy).

Intraoperative photodynamic therapy is a new type of treatment that uses special drugs and light to kill cancer cells during surgery. A drug that makes cancer cells more sensitive to light is injected into a vein several days before surgery. During surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible, a special light is used to shine on the pleura. This treatment is being studied for early stages of mesothelioma in the chest.

Recurrent Malignant Mesothelioma

Treatment depends on many factors, including where the cancer came back and what treatment the patient received before. Mesothelioma Clinical trials are testing new treatments.

For more free legal information on Mesothelioma and Asbestos Lawsuits, please visit Free Legal Information.

In The News:

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.asbestos.com/news/2008/10/06/mesothelioma-related-lawsuits-continue-to-be-filed-in-illinois/cid=0ei=aZXqSKH9BabU6gOU8aWBCQusg=AFQjCNH7DI4cYduTdfifeL71AIeGiQw5wgbMesothelioma/b-Related Lawsuits Continue to be Filed in Illinois/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAsbestos.com,nbsp;Floridanbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bAsbestos/b is dangerous because any amount of exposure can cause serious diseases, including a chronic, debilitating blung/b condition called asbestosis. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx%3Fid%3D63835%26cat%3D10cid=0ei=aZXqSKH9BabU6gOU8aWBCQusg=AFQjCNHyHJ9lGPb_CNGyuuKZY_b6hFXIWARisk of bMesothelioma/b Causes Ohio EPA to Request Federal Help/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTransWorldNews (press release),nbsp;GAnbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1If any amount of these free-floating basbestos/b particles happen to be inhaled, several forms of serious disease can occur, including bmesothelioma/b, blung/b b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.asbestos.com/news/2008/10/06/senator-max-baucus-chairs-libby-hearing/cid=0ei=aZXqSKH9BabU6gOU8aWBCQusg=AFQjCNGvlhWiuDSozhNU7iJq9se9U3i8nQSenator Max Baucus Chairs Libby Hearing/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAsbestos.com,nbsp;Floridanbsp;-/font nobr5 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Exposure to basbestos/b has been linked to several serious diseases, including asbestosis, blung/b cancer, and bmesothelioma/b. bAsbestos/b exposure occurs when toxic, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx%3Fid%3D63761%26cat%3D10cid=1254626158ei=aZXqSKH9BabU6gOU8aWBCQusg=AFQjCNHmpcEdQVeNbdA9lY992tfcmwI4uwLegalView Reports Family#39;s Loss of Father Who Died/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTransWorldNews (press release),nbsp;GAnbsp;-/font nobr22 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bMesothelioma/b cancer, along with asbestosis, are conditions developed after the inhalation of basbestos/b fibers occurs. The lining of the blungs/b begin to form b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/news/politics/story/7f2795d619460ba8862574d8000fe4aa%3FOpenDocumentcid=0ei=aZXqSKH9BabU6gOU8aWBCQusg=AFQjCNHCG7CwhzPS_q8R6xKaQPvte3DGxwimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=6U74n1288VsJimgurl=images.stltoday.com/stltoday/resources/biden230oct4.jpg width=58 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2St. Louis Post-Dispatch/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/news/politics/story/7f2795d619460ba8862574d8000fe4aa%3FOpenDocumentcid=0ei=aZXqSKH9BabU6gOU8aWBCQusg=AFQjCNHCG7CwhzPS_q8R6xKaQPvte3DGxwMadison County law firm big Biden donor/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSt. Louis Post-Dispatch,nbsp; United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bAsbestos/b is the catalyst for a potentially deadly blung/b disease called bmesothelioma/b. Americans are quot;tired of big powerful corporate interests writing the b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.asbestos.com/news/2008/10/03/risks-of-mesothelioma-forces-fremont-manufacturing-plant-to-inform-employees-about-asbestos/cid=0ei=aZXqSKH9BabU6gOU8aWBCQusg=AFQjCNHZEZmrtmGMssZaq247isniKDT9tQRisks of bMesothelioma/b Forces Fremont Manufacturing Plant to Inform b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAsbestos.com,nbsp;Floridanbsp;-/font nobrOct 3, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bAsbestos/b is known to cause several forms of serious disease, including asbestosis, blung/b cancer, and bmesothelioma/b. Malignant bmesothelioma/b is a rare form of b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/Asbestos-victims-face-new-hurdle.4559073.jpcid=1254080028ei=aZXqSKH9BabU6gOU8aWBCQusg=AFQjCNGa9FSiNsm-S6PyuCBTrTXncGqNkQbAsbestos/b victims face new hurdle/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fShields Gazette,nbsp;UKnbsp;-/font nobrOct 4, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Pleural plaques is scarring of the blung/b issue, caused by exposure to basbestos/b, which can lead to full-blown bmesothelioma/b. But the right to compensation for b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.pr.com/press-release/108942cid=0ei=aZXqSKH9BabU6gOU8aWBCQusg=AFQjCNE5TBYG3MudqS5cPDop6oJ4rqFPpwLegalView Reports Cancer Risk for St. Louis Residents After b.../b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fPR.com (press release),nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobrOct 3, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bMesothelioma/b cancer is linked to the inhalation of basbestos/b fibers that become airborne and begin to develop cancerous cells within the lining of the blung/b. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.madisonrecord.com/news/215155-asbestos-complaint-blames-79-corporations-for-lung-cancercid=1253530848ei=aZXqSKH9BabU6gOU8aWBCQusg=AFQjCNGvvXsxUpY3IpCdwXsyhuntrBGcpQbAsbestos/b complaint blames 79 corporations for blung/b cancer/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fMadison County Record,nbsp;ILnbsp;-/font nobrOct 2, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1bMesothelioma/b hindered and prevented Steven from pursuing his normal course of employment, according to the suit. As a result, he lost large sums of money, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://www.citywebshopper.net/articles/includes/redirect.php?url=http://www.asbestos.com/news/2008/10/02/mesothelioma-related-lawsuits-filed-in-madison-county/cid=0ei=aZXqSKH9BabU6gOU8aWBCQusg=AFQjCNFDWzfF3Odd9ZA_HHwbSXYb8VLMEQbMesothelioma/b-Related Lawsuits Filed in Madison County/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fAsbestos.com,nbsp;Floridanbsp;-/font nobrOct 2, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1She believes his passing was wrongfully caused by basbestos/b exposure. The lawsuit states Franklin Gilmore was diagnosed with blung/b cancer on May 23, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table

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Malignant Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma & Asbestos Cancer