Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by previous exposure to asbestos. In this disease, malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body’s internal organs. Its most common site is the pleura (outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the heart). This definition was taken from Wikipedia.

Here are some signs and symptoms and Mesothelioma:

• 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)

Here are some Mesothelioma treatments
1.Surgery - Surgery, either by itself or used in combination with pre- and post-operative adjuvant therapies, has proved disappointing
2. Radiation - For patients with localized disease, and who can tolerate a radical surgery, radiation is often given post-operatively as a consolidative treatment.
3. Chemotherapy - In February 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved pemetrexed (brand name Alimta) for treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.
4. Immunotherapy - Treatment regimens involving immunotherapy have yielded variable results. For example, intrapleural inoculation of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in an attempt to boost the immune response, was found to be of no benefit to the patient (while it may benefit patients with bladder cancer).