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Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, which is caused by exposure to asbestos. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of the disease are diagnosed each year in the United States.

Between 1970 and 1990, the incidence of mesothelioma cancers increased. Asbestos-related diseases stabilized after the 1990s, and now appear to be decreasing. In Europe and the rest of the world, mesothelioma rates are on the rise.

Mesothelioma is a serious disease that is difficult to treat. By the time a patient experiences symptoms and receives a diagnosis, the disease is usually already in advanced stages. However, advances in technology have helped improve prospects for patients that have been recently diagnosed.

Most cases of mesothelioma affect men aged 55 and over, and its incidence increases with age. 75% of people diagnosed with mesothelioma are over the age of 65. The disease affects men 5 times more often than women, and is most common in white Americans.

Mesothelioma affects the mesothelial cells that surround the lungs, heart, and stomach. Symptoms of the disease include dyspnea and pleuritic chest pain, malaise, and weight loss.

Mesothelioma is a difficult disease to treat. In most cases surgery is not possible because the tumor encases the lung in a large mass that invades the fissures and spreads to the diaphragm and chest wall. Chemotherapy and radiation have only proven helpful in rare cases. Fortunately, many patients have recovered because of new treatment options and earlier diagnosis.

For more information about mesothelioma, call 1-800-780-2686 or visit http://www.Mesothelioma-Data.com.

About Mesothelioma-Data.com: Mesothelioma-Data.com provides free resources and information to patients suffering with mesothelioma. The website has developed a free information packet and DVD that make it easy to become informed about the disease of mesothelioma, its symptoms, and treatment options.

Researchers have discovered a new and potentially successful treatment for victims of the deadly lung cancer known as mesothelioma. The treatment is known as chemoembolization and is being offered at a single German facility only. The treatment was recently administered to its first mesothelioma patient, a woman who developed the condition after hugging her father everyday, who was covered in asbestos fibers because of work.

The woman’s cancer has since gone into remission with her tumor having been reduced by more than half, according to BBC news reports.

The method of chemoembolization uses chemotherapy drugs delivered into the “site of a cancer tumor” and “since the chemotherapy drugs are delivered into the tumor, stronger doses of the drugs may be used,” according to research from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. For mesothelioma cancer patients, a catheter into the lungs may potentially be used to deliver the drugs to the cancer site. Because of the success of the treatment, research is continuing, according to news reports.

Developing Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma occurs when mesothelioma of the chest develops. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) recently reported that “the pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity.” According to NCI, mesothelioma occurs once cells within the lining of the lungs, known as the mesothelium begin to metastasize. The American Cancer Society (ACS) reported the following as symptoms of pleural mesothelioma:

* pain in the side of the chest

* pain in the lower back

* trouble swallowing

* cough

* fever

* sweating

* fatigue

* weight loss

* hoarseness

* coughing up blood

* swelling in the face, arms

* muscle weakness

* sensory loss

Often symptoms occur within two to three months prior to an initial diagnosis, according to the ACS. It is common that mesothelioma signs and symptoms remain dormant for several years, usually anywhere from 10 to 30 decades.

A number of tests are in existence to determine if a patient has lung cancer and if it is of mesothelioma type or pleural mesothelioma. Additionally, there are blood tests, fluid and tissue as well as imaging tests, which can determine a mesothelioma diagnosis, according to the ACS; they are as follows:

* chest x-rays

* computed tomography scan

* positron emission tomography scan

* magnetic resonance imaging scan

* osteopontin protein blood tests

* thoracoscopy

* tissue biopsy

* laparoscopy

* thoracotomy

* laparotomy

* bronchoscopy

* mediastinoscopy

* immunohistochemistry

* DNA microarray analysis

What to Do Following a Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Once a mesothelioma diagnosis has occurred, there are several actions that can be taken to potentially treat the deadly condition. Unfortunately, mesothelioma is often untreatable. The NCI sponsors clinical trials, which can assist individuals with their mesothelioma diagnosis by offering potentially new mesothelioma treatments that can be administered and studied.