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Mesothelioma (malignant) - Treatment

Alternative Names

Malignant mesothelioma

Treatment:

There is no cure. Untreated, the average malignant mesothelioma patient survives 9 months. It is a difficult cancer to treat.

Often the disease is too advanced for surgery. Chemotherapy or radiation may be used to reduce symptoms. Combining certain chemotherapy drugs may help decrease symptoms and improve survival, but it will not cure the cancer.

Consider participating in a clinical trial (test of new treatments), which may give you more treatment options.

Pain relief, oxygen, and other supportive treatments may also help relieve symptoms.

Support Groups:

You can ease the stress of illness by joining a support group where members share common experiences and problems.

See:

Expectations (prognosis):

The average survival time varies from 4 - 18 months. However, your outlook depends on:

The stage of the tumor
Your age and general health
Whether surgery is an option

Complications:

The tumor can quickly spread to other organs.

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you have symptoms of malignant mesothelioma.

Respiratory system

Reviewed last on: 9/4/2008
Sean O. Stitham, MD, private practice in Internal Medicine, Seattle, Washington; and James R. Mason, MD, Oncologist, Director, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program and Stem Cell Processing Lab, Scripps Clinic, Torrey Pines, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

West SSD, Lee YCG. Management of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Clinics in Chest Medicine. 2006;27:335-354.

Camacho LH, Mora-Bowen A, Munden R, Smythe WR, Ordoñez NG. Malignant mesothelioma: natural history, pathologic features and future therapies. Am J Med. 2007;120:e7-9.

Mason RJ, Murray J, VC Broaddus, Nadel J. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2005:1994-2002.

Grainger RC, Allison D, Adam, Dixon AK. Diagnostic Radiology: A Textbook of Medical Imaging. 4th ed. Orlando, Fl: Churchill Livingstone; 2001:339-341; 514-515.

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