Mesothelioma

By Marcus Peterson

Peritoneal mesothelioma treatment depends upon a number of factors, such as the size and stage of cancer cells, the patient’s general condition and health, past medical history of the patient and the patient’s age. Peritoneal mesothelioma is the cancer of the membrane in the abdomen. As with all cancer diseases, premature detection and treatment provides the best possible result.

Peritoneal mesothelioma treatments are classified into localized treatments and systemic treatments. Systemic treatments are whole body treatments like chemotherapy. Localized treatments include surgery and radiotherapy.

Surgical treatment is often not practical in the case of peritoneal mesothelioma. If the growth of cancer cell is found very early, it may be possible to remove tumor by operation. The peritoneal mesothelioma surgery is known as a peritonectomy. The surgery involves cutting out the peritoneum, the lining of the abdomen where the mesothelioma has started growing. Sometimes it is needed to remove a lung or part of the diaphragm, for the surgery to succeed in removing the afflicted cell.

Radiation therapy or radiotherapy uses high energy rays (like x-rays) to kill cancer cells in the affected area. There are several ways to administer radiotherapy and each one breaks down the cancer cells so that they may be eliminated from the body. The general method includes a machine kept outside the body, which produces radiation. Another method is by placing a radiation-emitting device directly to the affected cell by way of plastic tubes. In addition to controlling radiation, doctors use these tubes to inject the required drugs.

Chemotherapy for peritoneal mesothelioma controls symptoms and tries to slow the cancer down. This therapy is used to kill mesothelioma cells by injecting anti-cancer drugs that are usually injected into a vein. Medicines can be administered in tablet form. Depending on the type of medicine used, the treatment can be applied weekly or every two to three weeks.

Peritoneal mesothelioma does not always respond to traditional mesothelioma treatment ways. Physicians and researchers are constantly working to improve upon the existing peritoneal mesothelioma treatment.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment Costs
By Jason Gluckman

Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that attacks the lining of the abdomen, enveloping many of the organs in the abdomen by a thin membrane of mesothelial cells, known as the peritoneum. It is caused due to exposure to asbestos. This tumor as a long lactation period and is often diagnosed 30-50 years after the exposure. Though currently no treatment is available for curing this disease, a timely diagnosis (depending upon the size of the tumor), may in improve the patients’ quality of life. In some cases of early diagnosis, the treatments can result in extending the life of victim up to five years, in comparison to the normal lifespan of one year for a peritoneal mesothelioma patient. While the current survival rate for peritoneal mesothelioma patients is low, new peritoneal mesothelioma treatments are in development, and some show great promise. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and/or surgery are the most common options available today for the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma.

The cost incurred in overall treatment of this tumor is almost the same as the cost involved in the treatment of other tumors. It is difficult to determine exact figures as there is variability in treatment plans, but cancer treatments can cost many thousands of dollars per month. Overall, cancer treatment, including peritoneal mesothelioma treatment, costs over $40 billion in the US each year. For a typical individual, who already has been victimized by this dreadful disease, the treatment costs can prove to very expensive and unaffordable. If you have been diagnosed and are suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma, it is advisable to consult a peritoneal mesothelioma lawyer, who can guide you as to your legal rights and how you can recover compensation from the party responsible for your exposure to asbestos. An expert lawyer can help you recover compensation for bills, lost wages, and punitive damages, which can go up to millions of dollars.