Treating Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancer specifically caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Although breathing in fibrous asbestos can also cause lung cancer, mesothelioma is different from lung cancer in that it affects the lining of the lungs rather than the lung as a whole. Mesothelioma is a disease that causes about 2,000-3,000 new cases of cancer each year. This article will provide a brief overview of mesothelioma before discussing some treatment options.

Asbestos itself is not cancerous. People suffer from lung damage and cancer from asbestos when the material breaks apart, sending microscopic fibrous particles in the air. Therefore, it is possible to live in home structured with asbestos without ever breathing in the toxic substance. It is more commonly seen in people who worked directly with asbestos, such as mining and construction, because those two activities promoted the breakage and spread of asbestos fibers into the air.

As people unknowingly breath in the asbestos fibers, the pieces lodge themselves in the lungs-sometimes being completely stuck in the lungs and irretrievable. Because of this, the five year survival rate of this terrible disease hovers at about 10%.

There are two types of mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma begins in the outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity; it is the more common type of mesothelioma at about 70% of mesothelioma sufferers having the pleural version. The less common type of lung lining cancer is peritoneal mesothelioma, which begins in the lining of the abdomen.

There are a variety of treatment options available for mesothelioma based on the stage it is when detected, the age of the patient, the location of the disease, how far it is spread, etc. The three most prolific types of treatment include regular cancer treatment: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. It is typical to combine at least two of these methods in battling mesothelioma.

As doctors understand this type of cancer more and more, several new types of treatment have been developed. This includes anti-angiogenesis drugs. Unlike chemotherapy, anti-angiogenesis drugs specifically target the cancerous tumors, rather than killing both cancerous and noncancerous cells. Another option is immunotherapy, which enhances the body's own immune system to better fight the disease.

Photodynamic therapy and gene therapy are two other ways being utilized to treat mesothelioma. There are also a number of unconventional and alternative medicines that can be effective in curing mesothelioma. However, as mentioned before, treatment for this cancer has not proven to be hugely successful, mostly because it is difficult to detect the cancer until it is too late.