Easing the Painful Symptoms of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
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Easing the Painful Symptoms of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive and rare cancer. There is new hope for reducing the painful symptoms of malignant pleural mesothelioma. A new study in BMC Cancer looked at treatments and the symptom burden of malignant pleural mesothelioma in Europe. The symptoms of malignant pleural mesothelioma are very hard. But there are treatments available to improve quality of life. New data proves that chemotherapy eases mesothelioma symptoms. And it is most likely to improve and maintain health-related quality of life. The Long Journey of Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is the asbestos-caused cancer. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma. It accounts for over 90,000 deaths per year globally. It takes a very long time to diagnose mesothelioma. Usually,…

Thoracoscopy: An Alternative to Surgery for Mesothelioma Diagnosis?
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Thoracoscopy: An Alternative to Surgery for Mesothelioma Diagnosis?

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic say an outpatient medical procedure called thoracoscopy is safer and simpler than inpatient surgery for diagnosing a common mesothelioma symptom. Pleural effusion, or buildup of fluid around the lungs, can be caused by several different conditions and cancers, including malignant pleural mesothelioma. When doctors are unable to make a definitive diagnosis of mesothelioma or to determine its extent from fluid samples and imaging studies alone, an open surgery of the chest (thoracic surgery) may be recommended. But a team of Mayo Clinic doctors writing in the medical journal Chest say minimally invasive outpatient medical thoracoscopy offers a feasible alternative to surgery for exploring the chest cavity in people with suspected mesothelioma. The study focused on…

New Approach to Decrease Mesothelioma Symptom
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New Approach to Decrease Mesothelioma Symptom

ByAlex Strauss

Draining off excess lung fluid with an indwelling catheter may be a better way to deal with this mesothelioma symptom than surgery, according to a new study. Pleural effusion, a build-up of fluid between the two layers of the lining around the lungs, is a common side effect of several cancers, including malignant pleural mesothelioma. Approximately half of all patients with metastatic cancer develop pleural effusion, which can have a dramatic impact on quality of life by inhibiting a person’s ability to breathe freely. Many mesothelioma patients also experience chest pain and fatigue as a result of pleural effusion. If untreated, pleural effusion can lead to pneumonia or lung collapse. Some mesothelioma patients with pleural effusion are treated with pleurodesis,…