Mesothelioma Treatment - How Does the Stage of Tumor Affect the Mode of Treatment For Mesothelioma?

The stage (extent) of a mesothelioma is an important factor in determining treatment options. Treatment option used is also based on the patients state of general health and individual preferences. The stage of the tumor most importantly helps to determine whether the tumor is resectable {operable} or not.

Mesotheliomas are very resistant to treatment irrespective of their stage and it is always very important for the patient to know the goal of his or her own treatment before it is commenced, the patient should know whether the aim of the treatment plan is curative or whether it is palliative. The patient must also be informed about the likely side effects and benefits of the treatment. All these will help the patient to make up his/her mind on the preferred mode of treatment.

Early Stage Mesothelioma

Most stage I and some stage II and III mesotheliomas are potentially resectable, but there are exceptions. Resectability is based not only on the size of the tumor, but also on the histological {cellular type} of the cancer with the epitheliod histological type been the most favorable for surgery. Also the location of the tumor and the general state of health of the victim are also considered before surgery is recommended.

Many patients with resectable pleural mesothelioma undergo pleurectomy/decortication or extrapleural pneumonectomy operations to surgically remove their tumors. Patients with peritoneal mesotheliomas in an early stage might also benefit from surgery. Surgery is more likely to result in long-term benefit in stage I cancers, where there is a better chance that most or all of the cancer can be removed. Some patients can have long remissions after extensive surgery by experts. Surgery may still be helpful for later stage cancers, but the benefits are often temporary.

The use of Chemotherapy and radiotherapy as adjuvant therapy to surgery is also very common, they may also be used as the main therapy in early stage of the tumor if the tumor is not operable due to a poor general state of health.

Other forms of surgery for palliative purposes like thorancentesis can also used to alleviate symptoms in the early stages of the cancer.

Finally a patient can also opt to take part in a clinical trial to help to discover new forms of treatment.

Late Stage Mesothelioma

Stage IV mesotheliomas, as well as many earlier stage mesotheliomas, are not resectable by surgery because of the extent of the disease or because a person may not be able to tolerate an operation. The main treatment options at these stage include chemotherapy and radiotherapy to shrink the tumor mass and relieve some of the symptoms of the diseases. The aim of treatment at this stage is not curative and these modes of treatments have serious side effects which the patient must be aware of. Patient should also consider taking part in available clinical trials as there is little hope of survival using the conventional methods of treatment.

Pain management is another important aspect of the care of terminally ill patients. Some minor operations and types of radiation therapy can help relieve pain if needed. Doctors can also prescribe strong pain-relieving drugs. Some people with cancer may hesitate to use opioid drugs (such as morphine) for fear of being sleepy all the time or becoming addicted to them. But many people get very effective pain relief from these medicines without serious side effects. It’s very important to let your doctor know if you are having pain so that it can be treated effectively.

Recurrent mesotheliomas

Some mesotheliomas may recur (come back) after the initial treatment. If this happens, further treatment options depend on the location of the cancer and the kind of treatment that was previously prescribed for the patient. Most of the time treatment is limited only to palliative treatments. Chemotherapy could be used to shrink the tumor and provide relief for symptoms. Clinical trials should be highly considered as there is very little hope of any improvement with the use of traditional treatments.

Bello Kamorudeen. http://www.mesotheliomacorner.blogspot.com

Terminal Mesothelioma Cancer-How to Recognise a Dying Mesothelioma Victim

When the mesothelioma victim begins to show signs of imminent death, it is the time to for the relatives and friends to come around to say final goodbyes to their loved one. One after the other, the family members and friends might spend time with the patient, holding hands, talking to the patient, or just sitting quietly by the patient.

It can also be a time to perform any religious rituals and other activities the patient desires before he/she passes on. It is a chance for many families and friends to express their love and appreciation for the patient and for each other.

This also the time to plan for what to do after the death of the patient, so that the family will not be confused about what to during this very emotional time. If the patient is in hospice, the hospice nurse and social worker will help you. If the patient is not in hospice, talk with your doctor about it so that you will know what to do at the time of death.

These are some of the symptoms that will be seen in a dying mesothelioma cancer patient:

1- Changes in body function

• profound weakness,usually the patient cannot get out of bed and has trouble moving around in bed

• needs help with nearly everything he or she does. May be unable to change positions without help

• less and less interest in food, often with very little food and fluid intake for days

• trouble swallowing pills and medicines

• more drowsiness–the patient may doze or sleep much of the time if pain is relieved. May be restless and pick or pull at bed linens. May be hard to rouse or wake. Anxiety, fear, restlessness, and loneliness may worsen at night

• cannot concentrate, has short attention span

• confused about time, place, or people

• limited ability to cooperate with caregivers

• involuntary movement of any muscle, jerking of hands, arms, legs, or face

2- Changes in consciousness

• more sleeping during the day

• hard to wake or rouse from sleep

• confusion about time, place, or people

• restless, may pick or pull at bed linen

• may talk about things unrelated to the events or people present

• may have more anxiety, restlessness, fear, and loneliness at night

• after a period of sleepiness and confusion, may have a short time when he or she is mentally clear before going back into semi-consciousness

3- Changes in metabolism

• less interest in food – the patient has less need for food and drink

• mouth may dry out (see the next section on changes in secretions)

• may no longer need some of his or her medicines, such as vitamins, replacement hormones, blood pressure medicines, and diuretics (unless they help make the patient more comfortable)

4- Changes in secretions

• mucus in the mouth may collect in the back of the throat (This may be a very distressing sound to hear, but doesn’t usually cause discomfort to the patient.)

• secretions may thicken due to less fluid intake and build up because the patient cannot cough

.
5- Changes in circulation and temperature

• • arms and legs may feel cool to the touch as circulation slows down

• skin on arms, legs, hands, and feet may darken in color and look mottled (blotchy dark spots)

• other areas of the body may become either darker or paler

• skin may feel cold and either dry or damp

• heart rate may become fast, faint, or irregular

• blood pressure may get lower and become hard to hear


6-Changes in senses and perception

• vision may become blurry or dim

• hearing may decrease, but most patients are able to hear you even after they can no longer speak


7-Changes in breathing

• breathing may speed up and slow down due to less blood circulation and build up of waste products in the body

• mucus in the back of the throat may cause rattling or gurgling with each breath

• the patient may not breathe for periods of up 10 to 30 seconds

8-Changes in excretion

• urine may become darker and decrease in amount

• when death is near, the patient may lose control of urine and stool


Signs of irreversible death also known as “brain death”

-Cessation of breathing as the patients chest becomes still, not showing normal respiratory movements.

-Blood pressure becomes unrecordable

-Nil pulse in the blood vessels as the pulse stops

-Still immovable eyes with fixed wide gaze

-Open fixed pupils of the eyes, even in bright light

-Loss of control of bowels or bladder function as the muscles relax

After death it is all right if you sit with your loved one for a while. There is no rush to get anything done right away. Many families find this is an important time to pray or talk together and reconfirm their love for each other, as well as for the person who has passed away.

If the patient dies at home, caregivers are responsible for calling the appropriate people. Regulations or laws about who must be notified and how the body should be moved differ from one community to another. Your doctor or nurse can get this information for you. If you have a hospice or home care agency involved, call them. If you have completed funeral arrangements, calling the funeral director and doctor are usually all that you have to do.

Bello kamorudeen. http://www.mesotheliomacorner.blogspot.com

Mesothelioma Treatment - How Does the Stage of Tumor Affect the Mode of Treatment For Mesothelioma?

The stage (extent) of a mesothelioma is an important factor in determining treatment options. Treatment option used is also based on the patients state of general health and individual preferences. The stage of the tumor most importantly helps to determine whether the tumor is resectable {operable} or not.

Mesotheliomas are very resistant to treatment irrespective of their stage and it is always very important for the patient to know the goal of his or her own treatment before it is commenced, the patient should know whether the aim of the treatment plan is curative or whether it is palliative. The patient must also be informed about the likely side effects and benefits of the treatment. All these will help the patient to make up his/her mind on the preferred mode of treatment.

Early Stage Mesothelioma

Most stage I and some stage II and III mesotheliomas are potentially resectable, but there are exceptions. Resectability is based not only on the size of the tumor, but also on the histological {cellular type} of the cancer with the epitheliod histological type been the most favorable for surgery. Also the location of the tumor and the general state of health of the victim are also considered before surgery is recommended.

Many patients with resectable pleural mesothelioma undergo pleurectomy/decortication or extrapleural pneumonectomy operations to surgically remove their tumors. Patients with peritoneal mesotheliomas in an early stage might also benefit from surgery. Surgery is more likely to result in long-term benefit in stage I cancers, where there is a better chance that most or all of the cancer can be removed. Some patients can have long remissions after extensive surgery by experts. Surgery may still be helpful for later stage cancers, but the benefits are often temporary.

The use of Chemotherapy and radiotherapy as adjuvant therapy to surgery is also very common, they may also be used as the main therapy in early stage of the tumor if the tumor is not operable due to a poor general state of health.

Other forms of surgery for palliative purposes like thorancentesis can also used to alleviate symptoms in the early stages of the cancer.

Finally a patient can also opt to take part in a clinical trial to help to discover new forms of treatment.

Late Stage Mesothelioma

Stage IV mesotheliomas, as well as many earlier stage mesotheliomas, are not resectable by surgery because of the extent of the disease or because a person may not be able to tolerate an operation. The main treatment options at these stage include chemotherapy and radiotherapy to shrink the tumor mass and relieve some of the symptoms of the diseases. The aim of treatment at this stage is not curative and these modes of treatments have serious side effects which the patient must be aware of. Patient should also consider taking part in available clinical trials as there is little hope of survival using the conventional methods of treatment.

Pain management is another important aspect of the care of terminally ill patients. Some minor operations and types of radiation therapy can help relieve pain if needed. Doctors can also prescribe strong pain-relieving drugs. Some people with cancer may hesitate to use opioid drugs (such as morphine) for fear of being sleepy all the time or becoming addicted to them. But many people get very effective pain relief from these medicines without serious side effects. It’s very important to let your doctor know if you are having pain so that it can be treated effectively.

Recurrent mesotheliomas

Some mesotheliomas may recur (come back) after the initial treatment. If this happens, further treatment options depend on the location of the cancer and the kind of treatment that was previously prescribed for the patient. Most of the time treatment is limited only to palliative treatments. Chemotherapy could be used to shrink the tumor and provide relief for symptoms. Clinical trials should be highly considered as there is very little hope of any improvement with the use of traditional treatments.

Reference:Bello Kamorudeen.http://www.mesotheliomacorner.blogspot.com

Mesothelioma Compensation-Halliburton Co. to pay $30 million compensation

On February four, 2005, the Halliburton Company was ordered to pay thirty million dollars in compensation to about 120 families of people who worked for shipyards, construction sites and industrial plants in the Pacific Northwest or served on naval ships serviced in Seattle.
Halliburton Company actually set up 4.3 billion dollars as part of a national settlement program to wrap up asbestos claims and liabilities. This settlement will cater for people who are ailing, people who have died, and people who will still die from asbestos exposure in the upcoming years. The company agreed to pay 2.78 million dollars and put up 59.5 million shares of its stock to form a trust for future victims of asbestos related diseases.

Halliburton acquired Dresser Industries Inc. in 1998 and inherited the asbestos and silica claims, filed against the company. The workers of the company had been wrongly exposed to the toxic effects of asbestos fibers at their place of work and most of them had carried the asbestos fibers home on their work clothes to also expose their family members to this toxic substance. Dresser officials knew about the harmful effects of the asbestos fibers, but they were only concerned about the profits they were making form sale of their products.

All mesothelioma victims should file lawsuits against the people that wrongfully and deliberately exposed them to asbestos, so they need to get as much information they can get about mesothelioma lawyers and mesothelioma lawsuits.

Reference:Bello Kamorudeen http://www.mesotheliomacorner.blogspot.com

Mesothelioma Settlement-Ford Motor Company ordered to pay $10 million Compensation

On May 29, 2004, a Texas court found Ford Motor Company guilty of negligence and ordered the company to pay the sum of $ 10 million to the family of Carolyn Miller.
The plaintiff from Dearborn, Michigan, died from mesothelioma in the year 2000 at age of 54 years as result of the asbestos she was exposed to when as child she was dusting and washing the work clothes of her father, John Roland, who worked at a Ford plant in Michigan from 1953-1964.

John Roland used to work in the blast furnaces where he was constantly exposed to asbestos fibers which stuck to his work clothes which he took home for his daughter to wash for him after closing everyday. He developed pleural plaques, and asbestosis which is also caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. This lung disease could transform to a full blown mesothelioma cancer later.

After a protracted Legal battle the following compensation was awarded to the Miller family, not as form of punishment to the company but to compensate the Miller Family for all the loss and pain that their unlawful exposure to asbestos caused them:-

-$4.5 million was awarded to the Millers estate

-$500,000 was awarded to John Roland

-$750,000 was awarded to Millers daughter

-$1.5 million to Millers daughter

-$2.75 million to Millers husband Glen

Mesothelioma victims should learn as much as they can about mesothelioma lawsuits so that they will be able to file successful lawsuits to get the compensation they deserve

Reference:Bello Kamorudeen.http://www.mesotheliomacorner.blogspot.com