Survival Rate After Getting Diagnosis of Mesothelioma
Health Lav89 - Survival Rate After Getting Diagnosis of Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused by the presence of asbestos in the lungs, heart and stomach. This is the result of 'asbestos poisoning' that occurs when asbestos is inhaled and finds its way into the internal organs.
Mesothelioma is more common in those over 40 years, especially those who previously were manual workers. The reason for this is because it has not recently discovered the negative effects of asbestos, which means that the material has been used in many aspects of the building.
While asbestos poisoning is likely to have much impact at the age of about 40 years. At this time, Mesothelioma is most often diagnosed in patients aged 60 years and over. This is because the signs and symptoms of asbestos are very limited, and the presence of asbestos poisoning can escape attention until fifty years after the individual has finished working with him.
The symptoms that occur are also confusing, which is very similar to various respiratory diseases. Patients who have Mesothelioma will come with symptoms of wheezing, coughing and general respiratory difficulty.
The unfortunate result of this is that the condition may escape the attention for a long time before it is known. This then drastically damages the patient's survival rate. As one of the keys to treating cancer is to start fighting it earlier before the condition spreads further and into the vital organs.
To increase your chances of survival, then you should always consider mesothelioma as a possibility if you have worked with asbestos during your career. If you seem to have respiratory problems, then you should tell your doctor about your asbestos exposure and suggest possible mesothelioma.
You should also pay attention to other symptoms and this includes abdominal pain or pneumonia-type symptoms. If you and your doctor agree that there is a possibility of mesothelioma, then there will be some tests that can know the condition.
Treatment for mesothelioma varies and the chances of the patient being cured will depend on various factors. In many cases, the treatment used is palliative (improving patient's quality of life) rather than curative, but depending on the size and position of this cancer. Treatment of mesothelioma with chemotherapy or radiation therapy may also be successful.
The overall prospects for those diagnosed with mesothelioma are few, with only 40% of those diagnosed surviving for a year and only 10% after three years.
But it is important to consider that statistic about the disease are full of difficulties, and that cases of people who last longer than anticipated become more common. Research also continues to mesothelioma and other types of cancer with the potential to heal those who are struggling against this disease.