It is only natural that you feel awkward and unsure of what to say that will bring any real comfort to the families of those suffering this terrible disease. However, there are things you can say that will help the family get the practical help they need to see them through the rough days, weeks and months ahead.

Remember, their main concern is going to be for their husband, wife or parent who is suffering and they just may need someone to help guide them and urge them to get the help they need. You may well be in a position to be of real service to those you love and ease their burden in some small way. Here are a few things you will need to take the time to talk to your loved one about, that can provide them with valuable help.

Urge Them to Get Support

The first thing you can do is urge the person with mesothelioma and their family members to join a support group to help them deal and talk about the disease. These groups are vital in helping to understand the progressiveness of the disease, the treatments that are available and giving the people most affected by the disease a place to go and talk with people who can share their pain and truly understand what they are going through.

Even if the person suffering from the mesothelioma itself is too weak or discouraged to go, encourage other members of the family to attend these support groups. They are going to need an outlet for their pain in the days ahead and by joining one of these groups they can get both emotional support and gain needed information to help them deal with the disease.

Talk To Them About Getting Financial Help

Mesothelioma is an expensive condition that can literally milk a family’s finances dry. It is important to talk to your loved one about getting financial help as soon as possible to help pay the medical bills and relieve at least one worry the family doesn’t need at this critical time. There are several ways a family with a loved one can get financial help either through the government or by suing the employer where the patient was exposed to the asbestos. Contacting the government or an attorney to explore your options and find out what financial help is available will help ease the burden on the family.

Most mesothelioma support groups can give you the names of agencies or attorneys that can help your loved one get the financial support they may need. In cases, where someone has lost a loved one to this dreaded disease family members may be able to get compensation for loss of income and the pain and suffering their loved one faced during their lifetime.

Encourage Them to Not Give Up

Although there is little hope for a cure right now new medicines are being tested everyday in a effort to find something that will treat and possibly cure Mesothelioma. While you don’t want to give your loved ones false hope you do want to encourage them not to give up and remind them that as tough as things are, fighting to the end just might buy time for a cure to be found.

Just Let Them Know You Will Be There For Them

Just telling the family members that you will be there for them and meaning it will help to ease some of their burden. Offer to run errands or make phone calls or sit by in the hospital room while they take a much needed break. Telling them how much you care, and giving them practical helpful advice is the best thing you can say to help them through this most difficult time.

Many patients find themselves wondering why if there is little chance of a positive outcome from such treatments should they undergo these treatments and want to know if there are alternative treatments available that may help them deal with the symptoms of this terrible cancer.

The answer is that there are treatments available that patients suffering from Mesothelioma can try and medical research is striving to come up with even more less invasive and more effective treatments all the time. While some of these treatments have the blessings of the medical establishments others do not.

Patients suffering from mesothelioma need to research these alternatives extensively and speak with their medical professional as well as family members before deciding which course of treatment might be right for them. Here are a few alternative treatments that other suffers of Mesothelioma have used with varying degrees of success.

Anti-angiogensis drugs

Anti angiogensis drugs are drugs that like chemotherapy work to shrink and treat the tumors caused by your Mesothelioma. However, unlike chemotherapy these drugs only work to treat the tumors themselves while not harming other healthy cells in the body resulting in less drastic side effects for the patient.

Cancer cells as they grow and reproduce manufacture their own blood cells to supply the tumor and to help it to grow. Anti angiogensis drugs stops the tumors from creating these new blood cells thus robbing the tumors of their source of food. By doing this it is hoped that these drugs can shrink existing tumors and stop new tumors from growing.

Anti angiogensis are still mostly in the clinical trial stage so those patients wishing to try these drugs as an alternative to chemotherapy may have to find a hospital in which these clinical studies are being done and become part of the clinical trials themselves.

Immunotherapy

Immunotheraphy is another alternative to chemotherapy that is showing some promise for Mesothelioma patients. This therapy uses the bodies own immune system which has some natural ability to fight against cancer cells to aid in the fight against this deadly form of cancer. The theory behind immunotherapy is that by strengthening and enhances the bodies immune system the body can better fight against this dreaded disease.

Some of the things this treatment is trying to do is help the immune system strengthen it’s own cancer fighting cells while making the cancer cells themselves more susceptible to destruction, blocking the process that turns normal cells to cancer cells and prevent cancer cells from spreading to other sites in the body.

Strengthening the immune system may have the added advantage of improving the patients overall health thereby making the entire body stronger and more resistant to other diseases. This will allow the patient the strength to deal better with the Mesothelioma itself.

Other Alternatives

There are many other alternatives that are considered holistic in nature that patients who are suffering from mesothelioma are turning to either in conjunction with traditional treatment or as treatments by themselves. These treatments include such things as herbal and nutritional supplements, which can aid in strengthening the immune system as well as give the patient a more positive outlook which may help to fight the disease.

Acupuncture has also been used quite successfully in the effort to relieve some of the pain caused by this cancer. Massage therapy too has proven to help relieve some of the pain and relax the patient making them feel better able to fight this cancer. Other patients have turned to aromatherapy both as a means to fight the pain of this cancer and as a mood enhancer. Some patients also use aromatherapy in it’s original healing sense to help treat disease itself.

There is still so much that is unknown about Mesothelioma and how to treat this type of cancer. The one thing that is important to remember is that you are the one suffering from this disease and the choice of how to treat it should be up to you.

Any kind of cancer is undesirable, to say the least. Cancer is difficult for the both the person who is diagnosed, and the family to overcome. Even so, some types of cancer have a better overall prognosis than others. Mesothelioma, with a low survival rate, is not one of them.

Many Deaths Avoidable

What makes this particular form of cancer even more difficult to come to terms with is that most, if not all of the cases diagnosed from about 1970 on, and many who have yet to be diagnosed could (and should) have been prevented.  I arrived at this estimated time frame by taking the year 1940, by which it was widely known, in the manufacturing world, that asbestos was dangerous, and then adding time for mesothelioma to have manifested in someone if he or she was exposed to asbestos in 1940.

Manifestation after exposure may occur in less than thirty years, but thirty seems to be about the average. Very seldom does a person develop it in less than a fifteen year period after the first exposure to asbestos, and the latency period can even exceed fifty years.

It is very clear however that by the 1920′s people were recognizing the danger that asbestos posed. In 1924 a British doctor coined the name “asbestosis” as the cause of death for a patient, and the first lawsuits filed against manufacturers of asbestos are on record as being filed in 1929.

So, I believe that it is more than fair to say that by 1940; manufacturers knew that asbestos could kill. But that did not stop them from selling it or using it in buildings and ships, and it didn’t stop millions of workers from being exposed to asbestos dust.

Even today, people in many parts of the world are being exposed to asbestos. However use of it has been banned in Europe and Australia, and the United States has placed heavy restrictions on its use. Although many feel it is not enough.

About Mesothelioma and its Symptoms

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and shields many organs in the body. Mesothelioma is a cancer that manifests in that protective lining. It is nearly always related to exposure to asbestos.

Pleura (Lung) Mesothelioma

There are four kinds of mesothelioma. The most common form is pleura mesothelioma which affects the outer lining protecting the lungs (the pleura), and the chest wall. This type accounts for about 75% of mesothelioma.

 Asbestos dust usually enters the body through inhalation, so it stands to reason that the lungs would be the organ most affected.

Two of the symptoms of pleura mesothelioma are chest pain and shortness of breath, which are often caused by fluid trapped between the wall of the chest and the lung(s). Other symptoms include coughing and/or coughing up blood, hoarseness, wheezing, anemia, and fatigue.

Further complications include tumors, the possibility of a collapsed lung(s), and the potential of the cancer to spread to other organs.

Peritoneum (Abdominal) Mesothelioma

Peritoneum mesothelioma accounts for between ten and twenty percent of mesothelioma cases. The peritoneum is the lining found in the abdominal cavity.

The cancer forms tumors in the abdomen but they may go undiscovered ,due to the absence of symptoms, until late in the progression of the disease. This may be a big reason that treatment has not been highly successful.

Once symptoms appear, they include weight loss, abdominal pain, fluid in the abdomen, and bowel problems. This type of mesothelioma is caused by coughing up, and then swallowing, asbestos fibers. This form of the disease can spread many other areas of the body as well.

Pericardial (Heart) Mesothelioma

The protective sac around the heart is called the pericardium. Pericardial Mesothelioma is the form of mesothelioma that begins in the cells of this tissue. This type of mesothelioma is thought to account for as little as one to two percent of mesothelioma cases.

The symptoms can often be relieved by removing the pericardium, although this will not usually cure the disease or prevent it from spreading.

Like Pleura mesothelioma, symptoms include breathing difficulty or abnormal breathing, and coughing. This mesothelioma, however, includes irregular heartbeat, clinically referred to as arrhythmia.

Mesothelioma of the (Scrotum) Tunica Vaginalis

While conducting my research of mesothelioma, this was the only one that kind of threw me, concerning the interpretation of the name. Now, I’m no Latin expert, but when I saw the name-for some reason-I initially assumed that this type of mesothelioma affected women. I could not have been more wrong.

It turns out that the Tunica Vaginalis is actually a fluid membrane which surrounds the testes inside the male scrotum. During fetal development before the sex organs are formed there is an outgrowth of the abdominal lining (peritoneum) that forms in both of the sexes. In males, it eventually closes around the testes once they have formed. In females, it closes on itself and eventually disappears when the ovaries descend.

This is by far the rarest of the mesothelioma types, and I was not able to uncover a lot of information about symptoms or treatment.

Treatment

Sadly, there has not been a great deal of success in treating mesothelioma. Surgery alone does not usually result in a significant remission of the cancer. A combination of surgery and chemotherapy has had limited success in prolonging the life of the patient.

One of the most encouraging studies indicated that if a patient was otherwise healthy and the mesothelioma was discovered early, tri-modality therapy, a mix involving surgery to remove tumors, radiation, and chemotherapy-could extend survival up to 14 years.

The average length of time for most studies of this kind, however, was only about 15 months, with less than 30 percent surviving a full two years.

Coping

Emotionally, coping with mesothelioma requires a great deal of support for both the patient and the family.

One of the best things you can do is allow yourself and your loved ones to express the sadness, fear, and anger that you are all undoubtedly feeling. A professional grief counselor is highly recommended for everyone affected.

There are also support groups for many types of  cancer patients, and for families of cancer patients. Take advantage of these.

Prepare a living will, and make sure that your family and your doctor know what your medical treatment decisions are ahead of time, while you are still able to speak for yourself.

And while I’m usually not a big fan of litigation, in this case, if  you believe that a company or an individual was negligent and is liable for knowingly exposing you to asbestos, without your knowledge, and/or without taking proper precautionary measures, I believe that you and your family deserve to be compensated.

A settlement can help you get better medical treatment, pay off debts and medical bills, cover your funeral costs, and help take care of the people you love after you are gone.

My family has been touched by mesothelioma. God bless every one of you affected by this tragedy.

New Mesothelioma Test – Showing Effectiveness For Pleural Mesothelioma Patients

Mesothelioma is an asbestos related cancer caused by exposure to asbestos over a long period of time. Symptoms for mesothelioma may not become apparent for decades after the initial exposure to asbestos. Thus it is usually not detected until the late stages after serious side effects begin to present themselves.

What Are Some Of The Diagnosis Of Pleural Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma in general is extremely difficult to diagnose since symptoms do not appear for a long time after initial asbestos exposure occurs. And in most cases pleural mesothelioma is often mistaken for influenza or pneumonia or other more common disease making it extremely difficult to diagnose and treat.

What Are The Symptoms Of Pleural Mesothelioma?

The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are very non-specific which makes it very difficult to diagnose at an early stage and treat appropriately. Other symptoms may not appear for decades after exposure to asbestos. Some of the symptoms include:

* Abdominal swelling
* Anemia
* Acute pain in the abdominal region and chest area
* Coughing up blood
* Difficulty swallowing
* Fatigue
* Shortness of breath
* Persistent dry cough
* Weight loss

What Is This New Test?

A new gene ratio test to help predict which pleural mesothelioma patients will benefit from multiple modes of therapy and surgical procedure was developed by researchers at the Birgham and Womens Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. This test has shown to be effective in predicting postsurgical outcome in pleural mesothelioma patient – this is indeed a very important breakthrough in the diagnosis and treatment of mesothelioma.
How Is This Test Used?

The gene ratio test is used to analyze relative expression levels of four genes involved in malignant mesothelioma. The researchers believed that there was a need to develop a molecular test that could predict surgical outcome due to the lack of current means of assessing prognosis in determining which mesothelioma patient will benefit from surgery of trimodality therapy.

How Effective Is This
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Test?

According to the researchers trimodality treatment that includes chemotherapy and radiation with surgical resection leads to longer life expectancy than nonsurgical therapy in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Although this treatment is effective in longer survival rate it is only beneficial to about 50 percent of malignant pleural mesothelioma patients which means the other 50 percent of patients may not benefit from this test. Overall this test is an effective new development in determining which patient will see an improved mesothelioma prognosis.

What Is The Survival Rate Of This Test?

The survival rate for patients that received trimodality therapy is currently around one to two years. However approximately 20 percent of patients survive for three to fifteen years. This significant increase in survival is definitely good news for patients who may be more genetically apt to benefits from this aggressive new treatment approach.

Due to the positive outcome of this test, researchers are pushing for this test to become a standard practice in diagnosing and planning treatment for pleural mesothelioma patients.

How Reliable Is This Test?

According to researchers their test indicates that it can be performed on specimens obtained in a minimally invasive biopsy performed before major surgical intervention. The test also indicates that it can be used as a reliable source to help inform the clinical decision of whether to perform major surgery or trimodal therapies in addition to accurately predicting postsurgical outcome.

The new developments of drugs and treatment for pleural mesothelioma such as this give hope to those suffering from mesothelioma and their loved ones. It is with great hope that these new tests will one day be 100 percent effective in treating this disease at all stages.

By: K James

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New Mesothelioma Test

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New Mesothelioma Research – What Are My Survival Chances?

The survival rate for mesothelioma patients about twenty years ago was less than one year from the time of diagnosis, but with early detection and aggressive treatment mesothelioma patients are living longer that predicted. With new developments and ongoing research mesothelioma sufferers are gaining more hope about their treatment and longer life expectance.

Nature of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a disease caused by exposure to asbestos. In most cases symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear for decades after initial exposure to asbestos. Because it is not detected until it has reached its later stages makes it very difficult to treat. The symptoms of mesothelioma are often mistaken for other common diseases such as influenza or phenomena because the symptoms are so similar and those suffering from this disease may not even realize that they have developed mesothelioma.

Longer Survival Chances for Mesothelioma Patients

There are new tests which was developed over the years that aid in early detection of mesothelioma. Most of these tests have helped mesothelioma patients lead a more comfortable and longer life. There have been reports of a number of mesothelioma patients who have even survived past their predicted survival date. In some cases a number of patients have been cured of this disease due to early diagnosis and aggressive mesothelioma treatment. Researchers believe treatments that improve the immune system can stabilize and even cure mesothelioma.

Over the past years more and more mesothelioma survivors are beginning to speak out about this disease and sharing their stories about how they overcame it. Below are two exciting stories about mesothelioma survivors and what they are doing to fight this disease. These survivors are providing hope for mesothelioma patients and their loved ones.

Paul Kraus, an Australian mesothelioma survivor was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma in 1997. According to Mr. Kraus he developed mesothelioma about 35 years earlier where he was exposed to asbestos working in a factory. He has been very outspoken about his disease and decided to do whatever it takes to fight this cancer. He became a vegetar
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ian and started taking vitamins and nutritional supplements to his daily diet. He also tried a treatment known as ozone therapy which was a very effective treatment. Kraust believe that a combination of all the therapy, drugs and change in diet helped to stabilize his mesothelioma. According to Kraust’s doctor he is disease free and could continue living for a long time.

Rhio O’Connor is another mesothelioma survivor who recently published a book about his ordeal with mesothelioma. He recommends alternative treatments instead of the traditional medicine, surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Mr. O’Connor stated that he has lived with mesothelioma for seven years. He decided not to undergo the traditional treatment of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Instead he decided to develop his own regimen with the help of several expert physicians. His regimen included to drastically change his diet. He also adds to his daily diet 100 nutritional supplements and daily mediation among others.

American Cancer Society Statistics on Survival Rate of Mesothelioma Patients

According to mesothelioma statistics published by the American Cancer Society, the five-year relative survival rate for patients with mesothelioma is approximately 10 percent and that number has improved within the last five years, up from 9 percent reported at the end of 2002. In addition recent studies show that the one-year survival rate is now about 40 percent, a number that has also increased in the past five years – there is hope for mesothelioma patients.

By: K James

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New Mesothelioma Research – What Are My Survival Chances?

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Majority of mesothelioma (cancerous tumor affecting mesothelial cells of organs) cases come under the classification ‘pleural mesothelioma’. This is a cancer that originates in the pleura, the delicate membrane covering the lungs. Out of these, seventy five percent are diffuse malignant pleural mesethelioma. The balance is localized or benign.

Diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma is, in most cases, caused by unprotected exposure to asbestos. The symptoms include shortness of breath and/or chest pain, loss of weight, cough, fatigue, swelling on the face, neck and arms, reduced appetite, and coughing up blood. There would be collection of fluid in the thoracic cavity. It may take from twenty to forty years or more after contact with asbestos for the symptoms to emerge. Because of the time lag, diagnosing is often difficult. Moreover, many doctors are not familiar with the disease.

Diagnostic procedure consists mostly of imaging with Computed Tomography (CT scan), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Position Emission Tomography (PET), and laboratory tests and analysis. Thoractomy, which means making an incision through the chest wall to look into the pleura (the membrane lining the lungs and the thoracic cavity) and pleural biopsy provide conclusive evidence.

Diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma tumor is very aggressive and spreads fast. There are several methods to gauge the stage of the cancer. The most common is known as TNM. T is for the size of the tumor, N for the number of lymph nodules involved, and M for metastasis (spread of the cancer). There are basically four different stages. Correct grading helps the doctors to decide on the course of treatment. If the affliction is detected at an early stage, the chances of longer survival are better.

But generally the prognosis (response to treatment) is not good in diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma cases. Surgery during Stage I may help. If detected during the later phases of the cancer the survival rate is four months to twelve months. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy do not seem to improve the survival rate. The reality is that currently there is no effective curative treatment. Research is on to find new management methods and more effectual medicines.

Pleural Mesothelioma provides detailed information on Malignant Diffuse Pleural Mesothelioma, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Survival Rate, Mesothelioma Pleural Brachytherapy and more. Pleural Mesothelioma is affiliated with Peritoneal Mesothelioma Lawyers [http://www.e-peritonealmesothelioma.com].

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Survival Rates Of Mesothelioma Cancer At Its Last Stages

Treatment options offered to patients are decided on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on the stage of mesothelioma. Likewise, the survival rate of the disease is also dependent on its development stage and reduces significantly in the last stages. Staging refers to the extent of the cancer developments within patients and is characterized by the kind of tumor and the degree to which it has spread throughout the body. With the knowledge of the various stages, the mesothelioma specialists are able to decide on a treatment plan and identify clinical trials for them. The type or treatment also depends on the reason for the development of the cancer, the kind of tumor, its propensity for invasion of nearby organs and tissues as well as the distant spread or metastatic to other body parts.

The Brigham System is the latest form of staging system used in the diagnosis of mesothelioma and is done based on resectability which indicates the ability to surgically remove the tumor and lymph node involvement. The grading system is as follows:

Stage I: Resectable mesothelioma and no lymph node involvement
Stage II: Resectable mesothelioma but with lymph node involvement
Stage III: Unresectable mesothelioma with reach to chest wall, heart, or through diaphragm, peritoneum; with or without extra-thoracic lymph node involvement
Stage IV: Distant metastatic disease
Survival Rate of Mesothelioma Patients

Every year, over 3000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in the United States. This aggressive cancer has a long latency period resulting in those diagnosed with the disease having a very low survival rate. The aggressive nature of the cancer is caused predominantly from asbestos exposure during their developmental ages or the industry in which they were employed. Sadly, the chances of survival for victims inflicted with the disease are quite low and usually not many of them survive beyond five years post diagnosis.

Mesothelioma Survival Rate when Detected on time

The survival rate increases significantly the earlier the disease is detected. Another major problem with this cancer is that it is very difficult to detect at the early sta
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ges as the symptoms are very common, and people tend to ignore them and results in late discovery. Usually the survival rate of mesothelioma patients beyond 5 years is less than 9 %, with only about 40% of them able to survive more than a year after diagnosis.

Mesothelioma survival rates depend on various factors such as:

* The stage of the cancer
* The form of cancer based on its histology
* The health condition of the patients
* The characteristics of the tumor such as its size and location
* The kind of symptoms found among the patients such as fluid accumulation

Despite all these factors, the treatment option and the medical attention given to the patients also help in deciding the patient’s survival rate. In addition, though still without a cure for this cancer, the treatment options also help in reducing pain and trauma experienced patients.

According to various studies conducted on mesothelioma, patients diagnosed with stage 1 mesothelioma have a 50 percent chance of living for about 5 years provided the treatment provided is appropriate and aggressive. Those with Stage 2 have about 2-4 years and those with Stage 3 have an average survival rate of 6-8 months. Patients with Stage 4 and higher mesothelioma usually survive for fewer than 6 months.

According to the Mayo Clinic, when mesothelioma is diagnosed at the later stages, the treatment options are not very effective and are just used for relieving pain and for providing maximum comfort. The pain reduces significantly if the patient is in good health and below 50 years.

By: Chris M. Alexander

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mesoblog.org/blog/mesothelioma-survival-rate/

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Several factors influence lung cancer survival rates. The type of cancer, the stage it is at when diagnosed, and the overall condition of the patient all play a role in determining survival. Cancer survival is usually expressed in terms of a five-year survival rate, which is the percentage of patients with cancer who survive at least five years after their cancer is diagnosed.

Studies have shown that five-year survival rates among non-small cell lung cancer patients vary by stage. Stage 0 patients have the best survival, of close to 50 percent at five years. Approximately one-quarter of stage II patients survive to five years, as compared to eight percent of stage III patients and only two percent of stage IV patients. In general, small cell lung cancer tends to proceed more rapidly to terminal disease. Ten to fifteen percent of patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer, and between one and two percent of those with extensive-stage cancer, survive to five years.

Estimates of cancer survival do not reflect current treatment advances that may lead to better chances of survival, because they are typically calculated for a five-year period that does not include the previous year. Further, each patient responds to treatment in a unique way; aggregate estimates do not account for individual factors that may improve or worsen the likelihood of survival.

The overall number of deaths in the United States from lung cancer rose throughout the 1980s, and began to drop for men in the 1990s. However, a similar decrease has not been observed among women. Over fifty thousand current and former smokers have been enrolled in the National Lung Screening Trial to find out if chest x-rays and CT scans taken before the onset of lung cancer symptoms may improve early diagnosis and therefore survival.

Lung Cancer provides detailed information on Asbestos Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer, Lung Cancer Stages, Lung Cancer Survival Rate and more. Lung Cancer is affiliated with Asbestos Exposure [http://www.i-Asbestos.com].

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