Mesothelioma is a relatively rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure
Mesothelioma is a relatively rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Learn about some of the public figures who have been stricken with this disease. Even short-term or low-level asbestos exposure can cause the disease to appear many years later. While this is often true, no one is immune from this cancer-from politicians to entertainers, athletes to military commanders. Mesothelioma is generally thought of as a working man's disease. His team has developed some of the most innovative and promising new treatments for pleural mesothelioma. Progressive therapies are now being developed through the International Mesothelioma Program at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital and is a world-renown medical expert on the disease.
Because there is no safe threshold of exposure to asbestos, any degree of contact will involve some risk. Asbestos has been declared a proven human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency and by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization. The risk of mesothelioma increases with cumulative exposure and also with the length of time since the first exposure. Research is underway to address this disease and develop new treatments. A chemotherapy combination of Alimta and cisplatin has become the standard of care, although each case is different and your medical team will craft a special treatment plan for you, taking into account your situation.
Proven methods of treatment include surgery , radiation therapy , and chemotherapy. Treatments of the disease can significantly extend the amount of time someone with mesothelioma has to live. We can help you find specialists and cancer treatment centers for your case. A few doctors have enough experience with mesothelioma to be recognized as experts. Even oncologists might see only a few cases during their careers. Epithelial mesothelioma is the most common histology, followed by mixed/biphasic, and sarcomatous. Doctors use a biopsy and microscopic tissue examination to definitively diagnose mesothelioma. Because mesothelioma shares symptoms with many other illnesses, patients are sometimes misdiagnosed. Our staff is experienced and knowledgeable in dealing with mesothelioma patients and their families. A mesothelioma diagnosis can be overwhelming, and we are here to answer any questions you might have, and to help you take the steps necessary to find the options that are best suited to your individual needs.
After years of research and synthesis of information, we have assembled a web site and packet for patients and their loved ones. Pleural mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the abdominal cavity , finding a credible source of information about the disease itself and the medical options available, is of the highest priority. While very thin, this layer of cells is vitally important to organ function and the health of the inner body structures. Peritoneal mesothelioma, which occurs in the lining of the body's internal organs, known as the mesothelium. Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs within the peritoneum, which lines the abdominal cavity and is the second most common form of mesothelioma. The next most-common form of the disease is peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the tissue that surrounds the lungs and is the most common form of the disease. It attacks the membranes that surround the lungs.
