Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy for malignant mesothelioma

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays or particles to kill cancer cells. Mesotheliomas are often hard to treat with radiation therapy. They are not usually contained as single, discrete tumors, so aiming radiation at them while avoiding nearby normal tissues is difficult. But new radiation therapy techniques may make this form of treatment more useful.

Uses of radiation therapy

Radiation therapy may be used in different ways to treat mesothelioma:

• It can be used after surgery to try to kill any small areas of cancer that could not be seen and removed during surgery. This is called adjuvant radiation therapy.
• It can be used as a palliative procedure to ease symptoms of mesothelioma such as shortness of breath, pain, bleeding, and trouble swallowing.

Possible side effects

Side effects of external radiation therapy may include fatigue and sunburn-like skin problems and hair loss where the radiation enters the body. These usually go away once treatment is finished. Chest radiation therapy may cause lung damage and lead to trouble breathing and shortness of breath. Abdominal radiation therapy may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and a loss of appetite.

If radiation therapy is used together with chemotherapy, it may make the side effects of chemotherapy worse.

If you are having any side effects from radiation therapy, talk with your doctor. There are often ways to help control these symptoms.

Mesothelioma Prognosis

What factors help determine a mesothelioma prognosis?

When an individual is diagnosed with mesothelioma or any other kind of cancer, one of the first questions they will have is “How long do I have to live?” This is a scary question - and a hard one to ask - but one for which most cancer patients will eventually seek an answer.

Determining Prognosis

Currently, a number of different issues determine the mesothelioma patient’s prognosis. These include:

Type - Mesothelioma is classified as one of three types, depending on the tissues involved. The epithelial type accounts for about 50 percent of all cases, sarcomatoid mesothelioma is seen in 15 percent of diagnosed patients, and 35% have the mixed type of the disease. Those with epithelial mesothelioma have a better survival rate than the other types.
Location - Mesothelioma is also classified on the basis of location. For example, pleural mesothelioma, which attacks the lining of the lung, is the most common, accounting for approximately 8o percent of all cases. Those with this type of cancer have the best rate of survival. Peritoneal mesothelioma, found in the lining of the abdomen, is the next most common and is diagnosed in about 10 -15 percent of mesothelioma victims. It is generally harder to treat. Less common types are very difficult to treat, including pericardial and testicular mesothelioma.
Stage of the disease - The prognosis for mesothelioma cancer depends on how early the disease is diagnosed and how soon treatment can begin. Because of the disease’s extended latency period, it is often not diagnosed until it has reached Stage 3 or 4, when mesothelioma symptoms finally appear. Sadly, many of these symptoms are common to a wide range of respiratory diseases including many that are less serious, like the flu or pneumonia. This often results in misdiagnosis.

Mesothelioma Survivors Diet

Mesothelioma Survivors Diet

It is well known that proper diet and nutrition are essential to living a healthy life, especially if you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer or some other disease. Mesothelioma patients can certainly benefit from an improved diet, which may change throughout the course of their cancer treatment to meet various nutritional needs.

According to the book, "What to Eat if You Have Cancer," diet is very important in the causation and relief of many forms of cancer. Some mesothelioma patients have improved their prognosis by changing their diet. To receive a free copy of this book in the mail, 

Eating a balanced diet consisting of whole grains, proteins, dairy, fruits and vegetables enables the body to function properly and adequately fight infection and illness. Eating nutritious food while actively fighting mesothelioma through treatment may not cure the cancer, but fighting the disease from every angle will give patients the best possible outlook.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Symptoms of Mesothelioma

Many people are not too worried when mesothelioma symptoms first appear, since the symptoms are vague and are sometimes thought to be nothing more than a bad case of flu. Symptoms can include shortness of breath, chest pain and/or a persistent cough.
Once diagnosed, mesothelioma carries a very poor prognosis particularly because it is a cancer that is often diagnosed late. Many people diagnosed with this disease are told to "put your affairs in order".

Conventional treatments include chemotherapy, radiation and surgery.

Hope comes in the form of those who have survived mesothelioma. A closer look at their methods of fighting cancer the natural way can encourage others who have contracted the disease and help them to see that life can be extended for many years.

Mesothelioma Natural Cure

Mesothelioma Natural Cure

Cure Mesothelioma Cancer the Natural Way (NaturalNews) Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Is it possible to cure mesothelioma the natural way, given its poor prognosis? The answer is a resounding yes! In recent years, Paul Kraus, Rhio O`Connor and others chose to avoid conventional cancer therapies, feeling that they would have a better chance of survival by using supplements, herbs, rest and a nutritious diet. In so doing, they have provided living proof that curing this malignant cancer and living a long and healthy life is possible. What Exactly is Mesothelioma Cancer? A person may have been exposed to asbestos at work and inhaled asbestos dust or fibers. The fibers then become lodged in the membranes that surround the lungs, heart or abdomen. Over a period of time, these fibers cause tissue abnormalities, resulting in mesothelioma cancer.

After malignant mesothelioma has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body.

The process used to find out if cancer has spread outside the pleura or peritoneum is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the spread of the cancer in order to plan treatment. The following tests and procedures may be used in the staging processused in the staging process:

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Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy. An endoscope that has an ultrasound probe and a biopsy needle is inserted through the mouth and into the esophagus. The probe bounces sound waves off body tissues to make echoes that form a sonogram (computer picture) of the lymph nodes near the esophagus. The sonogram helps the doctor see where to place the biopsy needle to remove tissue from the lymph nodes. This tissue is checked under a microscope for signs of cancer.

• Chest x-ray : An x-ray of the organs and bones inside the chest. An x-ray is a type of energy beam that can go through the body and onto film, making a picture of areas inside the body.
• CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of the chest andabdomen, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of the chest or abdomen. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
• Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS): A procedure in which an endoscope is inserted into the body. An endoscope is a thin, tube-like instrument with a light and a lens for viewing. A probe at the end of the endoscope is used to bounce high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. This procedure is also called endosonography. EUS may be used to guide fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of the lung, lymph nodes, or other areas.

Surgery for pleural mesothelioma

Surgery for pleural mesothelioma may be done either to help prevent or relieve symptoms or to try to remove all of the cancer. Unfortunately, these tumors have often spread too far to be removed completely. Sometimes, the surgeon may not be able to tell the full extent of the cancer – and therefore which type of surgery might be best – until the operation has started.

Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP): This surgery may offer the best chance to remove all of the cancer, and it is most often used when the surgeon thinks a cure is possible – typically in patients with resectable mesothelioma of the epithelioid type whose cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes.

This is an extensive operation that removes the pleura lining the chest wall, part of the diaphragm, the pericardium (the sac around the heart), nearby lymph nodes, and the whole lung on the side of the tumor. The diaphragm and the pericardium are then reconstructed with man-made materials.

This is a difficult operation and is done only by surgeons in large medical centers. You must be in good overall health with good lung function and no other serious illnesses to tolerate this surgery. Several tests must be done beforehand to be sure you are healthy enough for this surgery. Major complications occur in as many as 1 in 3 people who have this operation.