mesothelioma

[kew]

My aunt has been diagnosed with mesothelioma though it is not clear whether this is a few cancerous cells or a full tumour.  We believe it to be fatal.  Could you explain where this is in terms of the lung or pleural cavity.  Also what should we be pushing for in terms of treatment.  She has had one lot of radiotherapy. I think she will take an 8hr chemotherapy session shortly.  There is mention of a clinical trial but have heard that such trials are more likely to cause discomfort than be of help.



Her husband has oesophogeal cancer and we are unsure of the survival rate/life expectancy there too.  He has had chemotherapy and is now undergoing radiotherapy.  The tumour has not reduced in size so far.  He has had a stent put in and can eat foods if mashed.



Any help or suggestions would be very much apprieciated.

Many thanks, Kate

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Hello - thanks for asking your question.



I am sorry to hear about the cancer diagnoses.



80 percent of mesothelioma is pleural in origin and is typically associated with asbestos exposure.  The median survival of patients with mesothelioma is between 6 and 18 months, and is not significantly affected by currently available therapeutic interventions.



Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are currently the recommended treatments of choice.  



Experimental approaches include intracavitary therapy (directly injecting compounds into the pleural space) and gene therapy.  Unfortunately, there is minimal success with these treatments, but they may be worth discussing with your personal physician.



Mortality of esophageal cancer depends on the stage.  The mortality rates for stages I-IV are 60, 31, 20, and 4 percent respectively.



Followup with your personal physician is essential.



This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.



Thanks,

Kevin, M.D.

[sweetdream]

Actually I am not expert in cancer But I know somethig about it because
My uncle also passed away due to mesothelioma cancer in September  2004.
read my experience  http://whatismesotheliomacancer.blogspot.com/2007/07/my-experience-on-mesothelioma.html
Now there are some modern mesothelioma treatments available  some of them are
Photodynamic Therapy
Gene Therapy
Immunotherapy
More about mesothelioma treatment options
http://whatismesotheliomacancer.blogspot.com/2007/07/mesothelioma-treatment-options.html
I have red many testimonials in net of mesothelioma survivals . Some people are still alive after getting mesothelioma for  long time .

[nayana4u]

A related discussion, All  the information about  Mesothelioma was started.