Mesothilioma Prognosis

Most commonly a CT scan is used to diagnose the presence of a malignant mesothilioma, as there are no serum tests to diagnose it.

* Seek out the best and most up-to-date information from your medical practitioner, internet groups and the medical community

* If you have had previous contact with asbestos, look for mesothelioma screening clinics

* Make sure your doctor is aware of your situation

* After diagnosis is confirmed, consider a compensation lawsuit for asbestos-related injuries.

* Remember that resources are available to you through community and medical support groups, asbestos victims' organizations, your place of worship, as well as your family and friends.

* With cancer the outcome really depends on how advanced your cancer is when it is diagnosed.

Mesothelioma, cancer of the membranes which surround the organs inside our bodies, normally does not begin to manifest itself until decades after exposure to asbestos.  Also the symptoms for these types of cancer are non-conclusive on their own, so the source is often not determined until the cancer has developed beyond the early stages.  Late stages of any of the types of Mesothilioma normally have a grim prognosis.

If you have symptoms which indicate that you may have mesothelioma, your doctor will likely recommend screening first with either a chest x-ray, if your symptoms indicate pleural mesothelioma, and chest or abdominal CT scans as well.  Since Mesothilioma is rare and its symptoms are not specific, your doctor will likely attempt to rule out more common conditions before considering mesothelioma.

If the initial screening indicates it's necessary, your doctor will likely next recommend a biopsy, which is a surgical procedure to remove a small portion of tissue for lab examination.  This is the only sure way to determine if you have mesothelioma.  Your doctor may choose one of the several biopsy procedures depending on which area of your body is affected, including fine needle aspiration, thoracoscopy, laparoscopy, thoracotomy, or laparotomy.

If Mesothilioma is diagnosed, your doctor will order other tests to determine the extent of the cancer and to see if it has spread.  These steps are called staging -- determining the stage of the cancer. 

Stage I Mesothilioma is localized cancer and is limited to one small area. 

Stage II Mesothilioma is more advanced where the cancer has spread to other structures next to the tumor, such as the lungs or the diaphragm. 

Stage III Mesothilioma is more advanced still, and in this stage the cancer has spread from stage II to the lymph nodes. 

Stage IV Mesothilioma is a very advanced cancer which has spread to distant areas such as parts of the lung away from the tumor and commonly the brain.

If Mesothilioma is caught in its earliest stage, your doctor may recommend treatment options including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and possibly clinical trials of new drugs and treatments.

If surgery is recommended, a surgeon will work to remove the tumor from your body.  If it's not possible to remove all of the cancer, surgery may help reduce the symptoms caused by Mesothilioma to improve your quality of life.  Chemotherapy is the use of chemicals to kill the cancer cells.  It is often used prior to surgery or post surgery to take out cancerous cells that are missed during surgery.  Radiation therapy is occasionally used after biopsy or surgery to prevent Mesothilioma from spreading to the incision.  Radiation therapy is sometimes used to reduce signs and symptoms of Mesothilioma in people with pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma.

The most aggressive therapy is a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, but it can be difficult to bear, so it is only recommended for those with earlier stage Mesothilioma who are better able to endure it.  This combination therapy has shown the most promise in treating Mesothilioma however in most cases there will be a recurrence of the cancer in spite of this treatment

Since Mesothilioma often is not diagnosed until its later stages, and since it's often a very aggressive cancer, treatment options for later stage Mesothilioma are often very limited.  Once the cancer is in stage II or beyond, your doctor will likely recommend options to control the cancer's symptoms and to make you more comfortable.