Mesothelioma

Short Description
The U.S. government reports that 70% to 80% of all cases of mesothelioma occur … good chance that many of the remaining mesothelioma cases are also due to …

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Mesothelioma
The U.S. government reports that 70% to 80% of all cases of mesothelioma occur in people with a
traceable history of exposure to asbestos. These numbers are from epidemiological surveys. There is a
good chance that many of the remaining mesothelioma cases are also due to asbestos, but that the patient
could not identify exactly where or when the asbestos fiber exposure occurred.
Mesothelioma is a very tough cancer. Most patients undergo surgery and chemotherapy. Sometimes
radiation therapy is employed, including innovative techniques such as tomotherapy and intensity
modulated radiation therapy. Oncologists use Brachytherapy for targeted radiation treatment of the tumor.
The antifolate drug pemetrexed (Alimta) in combination with cisplatin has been embraced by many
mesothelioma specialists. Median survival time, even with good medical care, is fairly low.
Effusions into the bodily cavities is a common symptom. The chest, or pleural cavity, gets effusions, as
well as the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity, depending on the site and shape of the tumor. Mesothelioma is
classified as either pleural (the most common type) or peritoneal, depending on the location of the disease.
(There are other types, but pleural and peritoneal are the most common.) To diagnose mesothelioma,…