Palliative Care and Pain Management for Mesothelioma
Cancer-related pain is a major issue for patients diagnosed with mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer which forms in the mesothelium, or protective sac lining, of the lungs, heart and abdomen. The most common form of malignant mesothelioma is pleural where malignant cells start in the chest cavity. The next common is peritoneal, starting in the lining of the abdomen, and most rare is pericardial, starting in the cavity around the heart.
Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos; however the symptoms do not appear until decades after first inhalation of the toxic fibers. Unfortunately, many cases of mesothelioma are not diagnosed until the cancer is in advanced stages and prognosis is usually quite poor. There is no known cure for mesothelioma. Therefore, a most important aspect of treatment must be pain management and palliative care. To read a full article of different treatment options in managing pain around cancer, please read Pain Management for Mesothelioma at Helping Mesothelioma Patients.
Managing symptoms should be a focus of care with the goal being to relieve pain and suffering, as well as providing support to family members and caregivers. With good pain management and palliative care, quality of life improves, more time can be spent at home, satisfaction of patient and family is increased, and often health care costs can be reduced. Hopefully mesothelioma specialists will recognize and embrace palliative care into their oncology practices and pain management will be central to any treatment plan.
