One of the most common treatments administered to mesothelioma patients is chemotherapy. The doctor may recommend drugs that he thinks will be best for you. Cisplatin is among the most effective drugs that have been in use for cancer treatment for more than thirty years. Often it is used with other drugs as a combination regimen for chemotherapy.
By forming a platinum complex, Cisplatin works effectively to cross-link DNA and cause a systematic death of cells. This treatment is normally administered intravenously in combination with Alimta every twenty-one days in a treatment center or a hospital. The doctor determines how many sessions the patient should undergo as per the reaction to the drugs and its side effects. (more…)
Malignant mesothelioma is the cancer of the mesothelium. Mesothelium is the protective lining that covers most of the internal organs of the body. The most common type is pleural mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is the cancer of the linings of the lungs. We also have peritoneal mesothelioma, endothelial mesothelioma, e.t.c.
Just like any cancer, treatment of malignant mesothelioma depends on location of the cancer, age of the patients, extent of the cancer and overall health status of the mesothelioma patient. (more…)
Carboplatin was initially discovered and researched in March 1994 by the London Institute of Cancer Research, it gained Food and Drug Administration. In 2004 a generic version of the drug became available.
Carboplatin is a modification of Cisplatin drug but with less severe side effects than most chemotherapy medications. It is sometimes used for mesothelioma treatment and is commonly administered for treating lung, ovarian, neck and head cancers.
This medicine binds with DNA and makes the cells function abnormally until in the end, they die. It is an out-patient medication carried out in a hospital or cancer treatment center. Some patients might need to stay in a hospital overnight if the doctor deems necessary for more frequent sessions or a combination with other drugs. (more…)
Many statistical models have been developed over the years to help with research regarding mortality rates resulting from asbestos exposure. One interesting study worth reading is called, “Exposures and mortality among chrysotile asbestos workers. Part I: Exposure estimates” by John M. Dement, PhD, Robert L. Harris Jr., PhD, Michael J. Symons, PhD, Dr PH Carl M. Shy, MD – University of North Carolina, School of Public Health, Chapel Hill – American Journal of Industrial Medicine – Volume 4 Issue 3, Pages 399 – 419 23 Jan 2007. Here is an excerpt: “Abstract – A detailed study of plant processes and dust control methods over the period 1930-1975 was conducted in an asbestos textile plant processing chrysotile. Linear statistical models for reconstructing historic dust exposure levels, taking into account textile processes, dust control measures, and job assignments, were developed. Parameters of these statistical models were estimated using 5,952 industrial hygiene sampling measurements covering the period 1930-1975. For most textile operations, exposure levels were significantly reduced by about 1940, when most engineering dust control measures were in place.
Results of the exposure estimates indicated precontrol exposure levels to range from 3 to 78 fibers/cc with typical levels well above 10 fibers/cc. After textile operations were provided with dust control measures, estimated exposure levels ranged from 3 to 17 fibers/cc and were usually in the range of 5 to 10 fibers/cc. These exposure estimates were combined with an assessment of mortality among workers at this plant to investigate exposure-response relationships. Exposure-response results are presented in the companion manuscript in this volume.” (more…)
Health is wealth – this saying is so true. But many times, we find that we tend to take our health for granted and pay a heavy price in the long run. Knowing how many grave problems asbestos can cause itself is enough to ensure that we take possible preventative measures.
Mesothelioma is a cancerous condition wherein the serous membrane is affected. Mesothelium engulfs the main body organs. It is caused due to inhalation of asbestos fibers. One may not even be aware that he or she is suffering from this health condition, till detected. The disease takes twenty to thirty years till the person actually comes to know about it. Some of the symptoms of mesothelioma cancer are very similar to the normal symptoms of other health condition. Moreover, diagnosing the disease in the early stages is not quite possible as the symptoms resemble any other normal health condition.
Some of the common problems people suffering from Mesothelioma face are difficulty in breathing due to accumulation of phlegm in the chest well. This is referred to as pleural effusion. As the fluid clogs the walls of the chest, the lung capacity to expand is reduced and this is the reason why people experience breathing problems. (more…)
Nothing can be better than this! Yes I mean it. Can you believe a new mesothelioma treatment has been discovered in Australia? The effectiveness of this treatment is definitely a ray of hope for the several people who are waiting for a miracle to happen.
What is the new mesothelioma treatment?
It is Dr. Malcom Feigen from the Austin Health Centre, Victoria, Australia who is behind this discovery. It has been seven long years of effort that has made is possible. A Radiation Oncologist by profession he has been into the research for mesothelioma treatment methods. The treatment is about providing a high dosage of radiation in treating mesothelioma, which has shown impressive results that include increased years of life without mesothelioma attack and lower chances of getting it back. (more…)
When it comes to discuss about meosthelioma treatment we can’t omit mesothelioma treatment options. Since malignant cancer has many forms hence the importance of mesothelioma treatment is on top. In this cosmic era lots of mesothelioma treatment centers are offering many types of mesothelioma treatment options depending upon the types of mesothelioma disease.
Mesothelioma treatment can be done through radiology, surgery, chemotherapy etc. Surgery is needed for those who have been suffering from this disease for a long time and the size of the tumor is large. Hence the cost of mesothelioma would be much more than chemotherapy. The major factors involved with mesothelioma treatment are age, side effect of the treatment, the effects of the treatment on the overall health and the probabilities of survival, as well as the stage and severity of disease and the body parts over which the affliction has spread. (more…)
Breaf History of Hyperthermia
The healing effect of heat treatment was already mentioned in the advanced cultures of the old Egypt (2400 B.C.), but only the medical professionals of the Greek Antique used this therapeutic approach consistently, acknowledged it and called it over-warming (in Greek: Hyperthermia). “Give me the power to produce fever and I heal every illness”, said Parmenides, Greek physician, 540-480 B.C.
Hyperthermia in cancer treatment
Hyperthermia (also called thermal therapy or thermotherapy) is an acute condition which occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate. It is usually caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures. The heat-regulating mechanisms of the body eventually become overwhelmed and unable to effectively deal with the heat, causing the body temperature to climb uncontrollably.
Hyperthermia can also be created artificially by drugs or medical devices. In these instances it may be used to treat cancer and other conditions. Cancer cells are more heat-sensitive than healthy cells and their structure reacts differently to overheating. (more…)
Breaf History of Hyperthermia
The healing effect of heat treatment was already mentioned in the advanced cultures of the old Egypt (2400 B.C.), but only the medical professionals of the Greek Antique used this therapeutic approach consistently, acknowledged it and called it over-warming (in Greek: Hyperthermia). “Give me the power to produce fever and I heal every illness”, said Parmenides, Greek physician, 540-480 B.C.
Hyperthermia in cancer treatment
Hyperthermia (also called thermal therapy or thermotherapy) is an acute condition which occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate. It is usually caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures. The heat-regulating mechanisms of the body eventually become overwhelmed and unable to effectively deal with the heat, causing the body temperature to climb uncontrollably.
(more…)
