A recent article in the medical journal, Lung Cancer, states that the number of mesothelioma cases are rising. Mesothelioma is a cancer that is associated with exposure to asbestos. Railroad workers who have been exposed to asbestos at work are at risk of developing this disease.
Currently patients have an average survival rate of twelve months. However, recent mesothelioma studies offer some hope. Studies on chemotherapy have had positive results.
Doctors at the University of Pennsylvania are now saying that changing the traditional surgical methods may also help people with mesothelioma and lessen their symptoms. Patients who underwent lung sparing surgery and light therapy reported a survive twice as long as the average patient.
Researchers have also been working on early detection systems for mesothelioma. Most mesothelioma cases are detected in the advanced stage, while cases where mesothelioma is found in the first stage improve far more with treatment. When found early, the treatment needed may be less severe, making the patient better able to cope as the disease progresses.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive disease and there is currently no cure. Early detection and advances in treatment options could make mesothelioma treatments more effective. For more information on early detection, and mesothelioma treatments, contact your doctor or the National Cancer Institute.
If you or a loved one have mesothelioma and would like legal information from a lawyer, call Doran & Murphy at 1-800-374-2144 or contact us through email.
References
Ronan J. Kelley, Chemotherapy and Targeted Therapies for Unresectable Malignant Mesothelioma, Lung Cancer, May (2011).
Joseph Friedberg, Photodynamic Therapy and the Evolution of a Lung-Sparing Surgical Treatment for Mesothelioma, Annals of Thoracic Surgery, June (2011).
Jeremy Moore, Early-Stage, Asbestos-Related Pulmonary Cancer Detected By Protein Test , American Association for Cancer Research, April 2011.
