Finding A Mesothelioma Specialist

 Mesothelioma Treatment Options

The importance of finding a mesothelioma specialist

Because mesothelioma is statistically rare, initial diagnosis is typically delivered by a doctor, usually local to the patient, who has never seen a case of asbestos-related cancer in person, let alone guided a treatment regimen.... learn more about finding a mesothelioma specialist

While there is currently no cure available for malignant mesothelioma, there are treatments available. The types of treatments may include:

Treatment Options for Mesothelioma Patients

Your medical team will consider several factors in plotting a course of treatment:

Your age. 

Your current health status. 

The stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. 

The location and size of the tumor. 

Given these particulars, oncologists may recommend different mesothelioma treatment options for different people. The preferences� � � � � � For more information 

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of the mesothelioma patient and his / her family also are considered in creating a treatment plan. Therefore, it is important for everyone involved to fully understand all available options, and then make a personal decision on what is right in their particular case.

A mesothelioma treatment plan should be overseen by an oncologist. This is a doctor who specializes in cancer treatment and is more likely to be familiar with mesothelioma than the most physicians. Because of the rarity of this disease, it is encouraged that patients seek an opinion from a mesothelioma specialist. Contact us if you need help finding a mesothelioma specialist.

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Surgery 

Radiation 

Chemotherapy 

Intraoperative photodynamic therapy 

Immunotherapy 

Gene therapy 

Surgery

Surgery is commonly used in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed. Depending on how far the cancer has spread, a lung also may be removed (pneumonectomy). The following are some of the most commonly used surgical treatments of mesothelioma:

Pleurodesis 

Pleurodesis is a treatment administered through a thoracoscopy or existing chest tube. Pleurodesis creates inflammation effectively eliminating the pleural space. The elimination of this space then inhibits the accumulation of a pleural effusion. Generally used when the pleural effusion is symptomatic. Talc is used most commonly and effectively for this procedure, thus it is often referred to as "talcing" or as a patient having been "talced." 

Pleurectomy 

Surgery to remove part of the chest or abdomen lining (pleura) and some of the tissue surrounding it. This procedure is performed for a variety of disorders including pleural effusion, malignant pleural mesothelioma, and trauma. 

Pleurectomy/decortication 

Surgery to remove part of the chest or abdomen lining (pleura) and as much for the tumor mass as possible. This procedure may be performed to reduce pain caused by the tumor mass or to prevent the recurrence of pleural effusion. For peritoneal mesothelioma, surgery is generally aimed at relieving symptoms, such as recurrent ascites or bowel obstruction. As with pleural mesothelioma, complete surgical removal of the entire tumor is unlikely. 

Pneumonectomy (new-mo-NEK-to-me) 

Surgery to remove a lung. 

Extra pleural pneumonectomy (or EPP) 

Surgery to remove the pleura, diaphragm, pericardium, and entire lung involved with the tumor. You can view a web cast from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston of this procedure being done by Dr. David Sugarbaker: see the extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) web cast here. 

Radiation therapy

High-energy x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, and other sources of radiation are used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation coming from a machine outside the body is referred to as external radiation therapy or external-beam radiation therapy. Radiation may also come from materials that produce radiation called radioisotopes. Radioisotopes can be inserted in or near the cancerous cells or tumors; this type of radiation therapy is called internal radiation therapy, implant radiation, interstitial radiation, or brachytherapy. Systemic radiation therapy, also referred to as radiotherapy, irradiation, and x-ray therapy, uses a radioactive substance, such as a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody, that circulates throughout the body

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Surviving For Mesothelioma Cancer

 The cancer is rarely found in the United States, with less than 5000 victimized people. Generally, the older generation has been found to be the most affected.

Types of Treatment Available Surgery is the first treatment that the majority of patients go through. The malignant tumor masses are easily removed during surgery. A rather dangerous treatment, sends drugs throughout the body to further reach the cancer areas. Another treatment is using radiation; x-rays in high form. Radiation kills the mesothelioma cells.

Treatment by Chemical is given as a pill to injected into a vein. It can also be injected into the muscle. It is primarily used to target the local area of the tumor. During treatment, patients experience extreme side effects: vomiting, hair loss, nausea, exhaustion, and anorexia. Side effects are harbored specifically with treatments.

Chemotherapy can use a one-pill treatment that has success. Patients have better experiences with this type, also referred to single-agent therapy. Specific agents used are as follows: doxorubicin, carboplatin, mitomucin, cyclophosphamide, Ifosdomide and cisplatin. The response rate to these drugs range depending upon the drug.

A list of the rates follows below along with the related drug:

15% response- doxorubicin, detrorubucin, pirarubicin, and epirubicin. 10%-20%- carboplatin, mitomucin, cyclophosphamide, Ifosdomide and cisplatin. 14% -- listed again is cisplatin. 36%-- cisplatin, a rare case that lasted two to eight months.
The response rates are proven to be extremely low when using single-agent chemotherapy. Scientists are driven to study a number of treatment combinations for mesothelioma cancer patients. They have increased the response rates up to 44%, but still lack effectiveness. The combination treatments are not being used often enough for dramatic changes, slimming the effects on patients to single-agent therapy. A newer combination showing a 47% response rate uses a more recent agent called gemcitabine. The agent is used in combination with cisplatin. This research was performed in Australia by Australian researchers and has proven survival results with Stage III and IV patients. The research ran for 25 weeks and given a chance for survival at 41%.

Given all the regimes for treating people, new research brings more treatments and the tools needed to perform. Doctors are getting many more patients and better at predicting the appropriate regime for specific patients. Patients are diagnosed based on their age and the cancer stage of mesothelioma they are in.

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Ask To Lawyers For About Mesothelioma

What is the Government doing about mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is one of the biggest killers in the UK, and statistics are set to peak over the next 10 to 15 years as the disease has a long incubation period. Swept under the carpet for years, the problem of the 'Silent Killer' (as the disease has become known) has recently received much higher public exposure with the successful conclusion of a court case centred on which insurance policy providers were liable to pay out in the event of a victim developing the disease - the insurers covering the company at the time of exposure or the insurers involved at the time of diagnosis. The 'trigger case' lasted for nine weeks in 2008, and was regarded by specialist lawyers (solicitors) representing the families of mesothelioma victims as a landmark in how the courts would regard claims brought against former employers for injuries or illness as a direct result of exposure to asbestos.

The profile for this preventable industrial disease has been raised further by the decision to make February 27th 2008 as Action Mesothelioma Day. The day was marked by events throughout the UK with the purpose of raising awareness in the media and with the public of the disease. An international conference discussed advances in the treatment of mesothelioma. John Edwards, Consultant Thoracic Surgeon and chair of the British Mesothelioma Interest Group, who addressed the conference said: "Researchers are desperate for funds to develop life saving treatments. Mesothelioma is far and away the least researched of the top twenty cancers in the UK. Funding for a UK National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases is a priority. Such a virtual institution would encourage collaboration and stimulate research to generate future treatments to prolong and save lives."

The Government has recognized that the ongoing problem of mesothelioma is one that has not subsided over time. Although the use of asbestos as a building material has been banned for over 20 years, there are still thousands of public buildings - in particular schools - that still have asbestos as part of their main structures. Although the asbestos has been coated with a protective layer of silicon to prevent dust escaping into the atmosphere, any damage to this layer could result in deadly dust being released. Those involved in the ongoing battle against the disease also fear that plumbers, electricians and other maintenance workers are at risk from exposure as they work on older properties that still contain asbestos.

Unite and other trade unions, health professionals, mesothelioma patients' asbestos support groups and Michael Clapham MP, chair All Party Asbestos sub committee, are leading the proposal for the National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases. The development group has wide support and has met the Prime Minister's special advisor on health in Downing Street, the national director for cancer and the minister for health with responsibility for cancer. The meeting was seen as a step forward by all parties indicating that the government takes the problem of mesothelioma seriously. The campaign is calling on the government to provide funding for a National Centre for Asbestos Related Disease to keep the UK in line with other western countries. The Australian government has already provided $6.2 million to fund a National Centre for Asbestos Related Disease. British sufferers and support groups are asking the government to match this funding , around £5 to 10 million, to provide a similar centre in the UK.

As the profile of this industrial disease is raised, the hope amongst specialist solicitors representing families of the victims of mesothelioma is that the long battle for compensation that many families face will become easier, ensuring that victims receive the compensation they deserve.

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The Challenge That It Poses For Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer which is posing a difficult challenge to the medical scientists as well as humanity. The more information that is gleaned about this cancer leads to just one fact that the only way this disease can be fought is by diagnosing it earlier so that effective treatment could be carried out. And that is where the challenge lies.

Mesothelioma is caused by the exposure to the mineral called asbestos. Once this mineral finds its way into the mesothelial cells it leads to the development of this dreaded cancer. Mesothelium is a membrane that forms a protective sac around the internal organs of the human body. It has different names depending upon which organ it is covering. Generally there are five types of mesothelioma which are pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma, mesothelioma of the tunica serosa uteri, and the mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis testis. A majority of the reported cases are those of the pleural and the peritoneal mesothelioma.

Once these asbestos particles find their way into the mesothelium, they lead to the cancerous development of the mesothelial cells. The challenge that mesothelioma poses to the medical scientists is that these asbestos particles remain dormant within the mesothelium for a very long time. Sometimes up to 50 years. As a result by the time the patient is diagnosed with mesothelioma, the cancer has already reached its later stages. At that stage the best that the doctor can do is make the remaining years of the patient as pain free as possible. Mesothelioma is one cancer that needs to be tackled with utmost attention. 

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Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

Clinical trials, phases I through III, are experimental treatments that have not yet been proven to be effective enough to be accepted as standard treatment. In fact, they are done for the purpose of determining whether they are or are not effective, and of determining to what degree they are effective. Results from clinical trials are compared with other forms of treatment to determine the most effective treatments under varying conditions. Clinical trials types include:

• Prevention trials

• Screening trials

• Diagnostic trials

• Treatment trials

• Quality-of-life, or Supportive care trials

• Genetics studies

What Kinds of Clinical Trials are Available for Mesothelioma Patients?

Clinical trials for treatment of mesothelioma might be designed to find a new treatment, or to improve a standard one. They test new drugs, radiation therapy, vaccines, new methods of surgery, or new treatment combinations.

Quality-of-life, also called supportive care trials work to improve cancer patients’ and survivors’ quality of life, comfort, or reduce the side effects of treatment or the cancer, itself.

How to Enroll in a Clinical Trial.

If your physician is unable to offer you a treatment or surgical option that he believes will cure, or improve, your condition, you may be eligible to enroll in a clinical trial. Your physician will be able to tell you which clinical trials are appropriate for you, and how to enroll.

Who Pays for Clinical Trials?

Clinical trials are not free. As with any medical treatment, you are responsible to pay for payment. If you have health insurance, you will need to find out whether or not they cover the particular clinical trial you intend to undergo. If your policy states that it considers clinical trials to be experimental or investigative, it may not cover any or your expenses for this treatment.

Increasingly, states are passing laws that require coverage for at least the routine care you would get during a clinical trial. These include doctor visits, hospital stays, lab work and x-rays and other costs common to any covered treatment that you might receive. In most cases the group sponsoring the trial will cover some of the costs of the clinical trials. These would include the costs that are related to tests that are done solely for research purposes.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is one of those research groups. NCI is working with major health insurance companies and managed care groups, and Medicare covers patient care clinical trial costs. NCI offers links to articles about clinical trials that may answer many of your questions. Other links to valuable information are at NCI Publications.

What Happens During a Clinical Trial?

There are four phases of treatment clinical trials:

Phase I: First step in testing a new treatment in humans

• Evaluates effective dose, route of delivery, and frequency of treatment

• Evaluates harmful side effects

• Involves only a small number of human subjects

Phase II:

• Studies safety and effectiveness of this treatment

• Evaluates effect on human body

• Limits to a specific type of cancer

• Involves fewer than 100 patients

Phase III: Compares this treatment to the current standard treatment

• Patients are randomly assigned to either the standard treatment or the one under study

• Treatments at phase III have shown promise based upon results from phases I and II

• Involves large numbers of people from many different places in the country

Phase IV:

• Evaluate the long-term safety and outcomes of this treatment

• Usually done after treatment is approved as a standard treatment

• Involves hundreds to thousands of people to ensure consistency in results

A 2002 study at phase III showed that a new chemotherapy drug regimen was effective in extending the lives of mesothelioma patients while reducing pain and discomfort.

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Choosing a Mesothelioma Attorney

Claiming Your Rights; Choosing a Mesothelioma Attorney

Mesothelioma is a silent intruder that destroys the mesothelium – the protective covering so necessary for buffering and lubricating our precious organs. Victims of this horrendous disease may not be aware that they have contracted it for 20 to 50 years after exposure. By then, the disease may have progressed to later stages that are more difficult to treat.

Many manufacturers, distributors, and installers of asbestos related products used this mineral fiber in numerous products such as:

· vinyl floor tiles

· roofing tars

· gaskets

· caulk

· adhesives

· clutch plates

· stage curtains

· fire blankets

· interior fire doors

· thermal pipe insulation.

Although it was a panacea in the manufacturing industry for years, in the early 20th century, our government determined that the fibers were highly toxic. Unfortunately, the manufacturers and other related companies weighed this risk against their profit and determined that their gain was more important than your life.

Finding the Attorney that is Right for You


Literally hundreds of thousands of people have been impacted by this disease. According to the RAND Corporation, over 730,000 claimants have filed suit. Many law suits are still being filed as a result of mesothelioma. If you or a loved one suffer from this malignant disease, know your rights. Choose to file a claim with an attorney that can support and guide you through the process and get you the settlement you deserve. Some of the things to consider are:

· Is mesothelioma your attorney’s specialty?

· How much experience do they have?

· How many cases has your attorney represented?

· Of the cases represented, how many were won?

· What were the dollar amounts of each settlement?

· Will your attorney aggressively pursue your claim?

· Do they have the resources necessary to represent you?

In addition to the legal considerations, how well does your attorney know this disease? Yes, it is a medical question, but an attorney that specializes in mesothelioma should know this disease inside out. Not only will it help with your case, but the attorney that knows this disease has the added advantage of compassion and understanding.

· The right attorney will know what you and your loved ones are dealing with.

· The right attorney understands the nature and stages of this disease.

· The right attorney understands the impact on the entire family.

· The right attorney provides personal attention for each client.

· The right attorney knows and empathizes with your anger and frustration toward an industry that robbed you of your health.

Matt Kiley can answer yes to any of your considerations for the right mesothelioma attorney. He has your best interest at hands and wants to get you the results you deserve.

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Mesothelioma Lawsuit – Step-By-Step Plan

For a mesothelioma lawsuit case to be successful, it must be properly thought through and planned. This requires a combination or resources ranging from finance, doctor’s advice, proper investigation and then the final execution by the lawyer. Usually, mesothelioma lawsuits can be drawn out over extended periods as asbestos related companies will not accept the lawsuit lying down. They usually hire high profile lawyers who apply significant pressure on the plaintiff to validate their claim.

1. Know the symptoms: If you had a history of being exposed to asbestos over an extended period in the past twenty to forty years, it is best to always be on the lookout for the symptoms of mesothelioma. This does not mean to be always fishing for ailments but just be in a raised level of awareness. Unfortunately, the symptoms of mesothelioma are similar to other respiratory ailments and carry symptoms of chest pains, shortness of breath, unexplained loss of weight and bloating. If your doctor is unable to diagnose a cause for these symptoms, then maybe it is time to look out for mesothelioma cancer.

2. Get your Diagnosis: By doing an x-ray, ultra sound or CT scan, your doctor will be able to locate scars in the mesothelium around your lungs, heart or abdomen. This will be a direct indication that you have developed mesothelioma.

3. Do not hesitate: many states put restrictions on the amount of time allowed between your diagnosis of mesothelioma and when you are allowed to file your mesothelioma lawsuit. As a result, do not hesitate; seek out a competent mesothelioma lawyer who will be able to make a credible case on your behalf.

4. Seek a good mesothelioma lawyer: various sources are available, through which you can get information on reputable mesothelioma lawyers. Always choose those with good track records and with a client based who can testify to their professionalism.

5. Work history: Prepare all relevant information pertaining to your employment history or that of your spouse that can prove how you became exposed to asbestos particles. Your lawyer may also employ an investigator to see if the company has had any other mesothelioma lawsuits filed against them. In addition, they will also maintain a close relationship with your doctor so get their expert opinion during the case.

6. Filing the lawsuit: This is the first part of the court proceedings where your mesothelioma lawyer will submit your papers and the document will be served on the defendant. The defendant will then answer by either filing a counter suit or a motion to dismiss the case.

7. Supplying the defendant with information: If the motion to throw out your mesothelioma case is denied, the defendant will then request information from you in order to discredit your claim. This includes information such as medical records, history of smoking and competency of your doctor. This information must be correct as they can be used against you in court.

8. Trial: Here is where the case begins in court. Your legal team must go through jury selection, make opening statements, provide evidence of how you developed mesothelioma, and cross-question witnesses.

9. Verdict: Once the evidence has been presented, the jury will deliberate the evidence and then decide if you are to be awarded damages for your mesothelioma.

10. Appeal: If you are successful in your mesothelioma case, be prepared for an appeal to be filed by the defendant. As mesothelioma awards usually cost them huge amounts of money.

form: mesotheliomascience.com

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