Medical Treatments for Mesothelioma
Research on a worldwide level is being conducted with hopes of finding a way to intervene, prevent and even cure asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer. The three diseases most commonly associated with exposure to airborne asbestos are:
- mesothelioma, a cancer that forms in the membrane lining of the lungs or abdomen
- asbestosis, a chronic respiratory disease caused by scarring of the lungs
- lung cancer
Mesothelioma is the most serious and fatal disease caused by asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma sympotms usually do not appear until 10 to 50 years after exposure. By the time symptoms of mesothelioma appear and cancer is diagnosed, the disease is often advanced and difficult to control. There is no known cure and the average survival time is less than a year. Research into new treatments and increased ability by doctors to diagnose early are slowly improving the rates of survival.
Finding out that you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma can be overwhelming and confusing and can raise many questions. Along with trying to find out what your next medical steps should be, patients often also need to seek the advice of an experienced mesothelioma attorney to explore ways of getting the costs of medical treatment covered. The most common first questions are: “Is there a treatment?” and “How is it paid for?”
In an effort to help you or someone you know who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, we are beginning to write a series of articles about some of the available treatement options on our website, Helping Mesothelioma Patients. The series will describe the various treatments, standard and new, in diagnosing and treating mesothelioma. We will list which websites are the most helpful and reliable, point you to clinical trials that are currently seeking patients, and also share some results from past clinical trials. Clinical trials are research studies where patients are recruited or volunteer to test new treatment proceducres or drugs to find out whether they are effective and safe.
We hope that by providing such information, mroe options will be known about ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat mesothelioma. All the attorneys in our asbestos law firm have stood by countless clients, offering encouragement, support, advice and expert representation. We have witnessed the struggle and heartbreak associated with mesothelioma. Our aim is to help those suffering from mesothelioma to get the best treatment, to find ways to eliminate or slow down the cancer, and to provide support around the pain and suffering that goes along with this diagnosis.
