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Mesothelioma treatment
Early diagnosis of mesothelioma doubles the chances of the patient for a favorable outcome of treatment and achieving remission.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of tissue cancer. About 3000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed annually in the USA, while new cases of lung or breast cancer reach more than 250,000 each year.
Despite the relatively rare occurrence of mesothelioma, more than 20 million people are at high risk in the United States alone. It is connected with industrial application of asbestos — the main factor of mesothelioma development.
MedTour patients recommend clinics for the treatment of mesothelioma:
Doctors for the treatment of mesothelioma
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My mom had a mastectomy at the Samsung medical center. We were very worried, but everything went well. MedTour helped us get to the clinic and hired a transfer. The clinic is of a high class, my mother was pleased with the treatment, the conditions of the ward and the service.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Mesothelioma can be diagnosed in the chest, peritoneum, pericardium and testicle.
Highlight the general symptoms of the mesothelioma, as well as the symptoms that are characteristic of its various forms.
General symptoms refer to:
- An increase in temperature,
- excessive sweating,
- tiredness,
- weight loss,
- increased thrombosis,
- appetite loss.
Pleura mesothelioma
- Pain in the side of the chest or lower back,
- Difficult breathing,
- Cough,
- Humor of the voice,
- Problems with swallowing (feeling of «coma in the throat»),
- Swelling of face and hands.
Peritoneal mesothelioma
- Abdominal pain,
- Constipations,
- Nausea and vomiting,
- Swelling or fluid in the abdomen.
Pericardial mesothelioma
- Chest pain,
- Unregular heart rhythm,
- Noise in the heart,
- Difficult breathing.
In more than 80% of cases the cause of mesothelioma is prolonged exposure of the organism to asbestos. Asbestos is a part of the overwhelming majority of buildings of the last century. It means that in risk group there are workers of building brigades and firemen who directly cooperate with asbestos.
The asbestos is a part of minerals which meet in the natural environment. The people living in mountainous area, have risk to get ill with a mesothelioma because of constant pollution of tap water with asbestos.
Along with asbestos, there are other risk factors for mesothelioma:
- Age. The age of the patient is not directly related to the risk of mesothelioma. However, the average age of patients with this diagnosis is 69 years. This may be due to a hidden phase of the disease — from the moment of exposure to asbestos may pass from 25 to 50 years.
- Gender. Mesothelioma is most often diagnosed in men. So far, scientists have not made reliable conclusions whether it is the influence of genetic factors. High prevalence of a mesothelioma among men can be caused by prevalence of the professions connected with asbestos influence.
- The virus SV40 (Simian Virus). It is a rare species of the virus that more often prevails in the monkey population. The virus does not cause direct mesothelioma but can contribute to development along with other factors.
- Gene mutations. Patients with mutations in the tumor gene suppressor BAP1 are more likely to get mesothelioma when exposed to asbestos.
- Radiation. The influence of radiation sources in the treatment of other cancer diseases may increase the risk of mesothelioma.
Life expectancy depends on many factors — the stage of the disease, the age of the patient, the presence of related diseases, the correctness of the prescribed treatment. In foreign medical practice, they say about the survival rate. This indicator is measured as a percentage and indicates the number of living patients at different intervals.
In abdominal mesothelioma localization, the 5-year survival rate is 65%, while in pleura mesothelioma it is 12%. Five-year survival rate in pericardial form is 23%.
Treatment of mesothelioma is a complex, multi-step process, requiring a well-coordinated team of doctors — surgeons, radiologists, oncologists. Depending on the localization of the tumor, you may need to consult a pulmonologist, gastroenterologist, cardiac surgeon and other specialists.
This means that the best choice abroad is a multidisciplinary center, where you can pass all necessary examinations and receive appropriate treatment from specialized specialists. There are such clinics in Turkey, Germany, Israel, South Korea, Spain, and India.
MedTour provides assistance in organizing diagnostics and treatment of mesothelioma abroad. To do this, you must leave an application on our website. You will be contacted by a coordinating physician, who will answer all your questions, collect a detailed anamnesis and request medical documentation.
Medical documentation is considered individually in the international department of the clinic, where doctors give preliminary assessment and prescribe a plan of diagnostic measures and talk about possible treatment.
As a rule, each case is considered from 2 to 4 days, after which the patient can go for treatment. MedTour staff assist in booking air tickets and apartments near the clinic, as well as in organizing transfers and interpreters.
American Cancer Society: Mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment (2020)
What does diagnostics of mesothelioma consist of in foreign clinics?
After the initial consultation, the doctor prescribes an individual diagnostic plan. In each individual case, the diagnosis of mesothelioma is different, because the tumor may be located near the lungs, heart or abdominal cavity.
During the diagnosis, such examinations can be scheduled:
- Radiography of the lungs. Often, this is one of the first examinations that a doctor prescribes if the pleura mesothelioma is suspected. The X-ray gives the doctor information about changes in the lungs, the heart, shows fluid in the chest and thickening of the pleura.
- Computed tomography shows the exact location of the tumor, its size, as well as its location relative to other tissues and organs. From the CT images, the doctor determines the stage of the process. This affects the further treatment plan.
- Echocardiogram is prescribed if the doctor has any suspicions of fluid accumulation around the heart. Doctors call it pericardial perspiration.
- PET-CT is a study of the entire patient’s body in order to identify areas of primary tumor proliferation. At the same time, the patient is administered a glucose solution, which is marked with radioactive particles. These particles can be seen on the pictures and allow doctors to estimate the degree of development and growth of malignant formation.
- MRI scans provide detailed information about the size and location of the tumor. This examination can be assigned when examining a tumor located at the aperture.
- Laboratory blood tests. Phybulin-3 and Mesotheline-related soluble peptides (SMRPs) are increased in patients with mesothelioma. In addition to specific tests, general laboratory diagnostics are performed to evaluate liver and kidney function before therapy is prescribed.
- Pulmonary function test. The examination is prescribed if the mesothelioma is located in the chest and doctors decide on a surgical intervention.
- Biopsy and fluid extraction from the sweat. Examination of cells under a microscope is the «golden standard» for any type of tumor diagnosis. For this purpose, part of the tumor is taken during the biopsy with a thin needle, which the doctor injects through the skin under the control of ultrasound.
How are mesothelioma treated abroad?
Modern foreign clinics use such methods as mesothelioma treatment:
- Surgical removal of the tumor,
- Chemotherapy,
- Radiation Therapy,
- Immunotherapy,
- Therapy with targeted action (targeting therapy),
- Palliative care in late stages of the disease.
Surgical treatment
The choice of operation in mesothelioma directly depends on the tumor localization. In pleural mesothelioma, such types of operations are performed:
- Extrapleural pneumonectomy is a complex operation in which the surgeon removes the affected lung, pleura, lymph nodes, part of the diaphragm and pericardial sac on the side of the tumor, after which the diaphragm and pericardium are reconstructed using artificial tissue. Radical removal of tissue increases the chances of the patient for complete tumor removal. Due to its complexity, this operation is performed only by experienced specialists in large medical centers.
- Pleurarectomy is a less traumatic operation. The doctor removes the tumor together with the pleura lining the diaphragm, sternum and lung. This technique is used in the early stages of cancer, as well as for palliative care. The surgery improves the patient’s breathing, reduces fluid accumulation and pain.
- Citoreduction (partial pleuralectomy). In this operation, as many tumors as possible and partially pleura are removed.
In case of peritoneal mesothelioma, cytoreduction is also performed. During the operation, all available part of the tumor on the abdominal wall is removed. Sometimes, it may be necessary to partially remove the intestine. In some cases, the doctor performs an omenectomy. The omentum is a layer of adipose tissue that covers the organs of the abdominal cavity.
In mesothelioma of the pericardium, surgeons perform the removal of the pericardial sac — pericardiectomy or make an artificial hole, the so-called «pericardial window». These operations reduce the pressure on the heart and allow doctors to administer chemotherapy locally.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy in mesothelioma is prescribed by a doctor before (neoadjuvant) or after (adjuvant) surgery. If the operation can not be performed, chemotherapy is the only method of treatment or is prescribed along with radiation therapy.
Chemicals in mesothelioma are prescribed systematically, ie in the form of drops and pills or injected into the pleural cavity or peritoneum. In order to achieve maximum results, doctors may administer chemopreparations during the operation, preheating the solution. This procedure is called hyperthermal intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Foreign clinics use Pemetrexed, Paclitaxel, and a combination of drugs – Cisplatin and Doxorubicin for HIPEC therapy.
Radiation Therapy
The doctor may prescribe radiation therapy after removal of the tumor to reduce the risk of recurrence and kill cancer cells that are not visible during surgery. New methods of remote radiotherapy are being used abroad. One of them is Intensive Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT). With its help, doctors can influence the tumor more accurately and with greater force. In this way, healthy tissue is less damaged than with standard radiation therapy.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy stimulates its own immunity to develop specific agents that better recognize and kill cancer cells. This method of treatment is more gentle for the patient, as healthy tissues and organs are not damaged.
For the treatment of mesothelioma, such immune preparations are used:
- Pembrolysumab (Keitruda),
- Nivolumab (Odivo),
- Ipilimumab (Yervoy).
Targeted therapy
In some cases, the doctor may prescribe target therapy, a new method of treatment of mesothelioma and other cancer diseases. Target therapy is based on the point effect of the drug on the growth and multiplication of cancer cells. This helps to avoid a large number of complications associated with the action of chemotherapy drugs on the body.
To treat mesothelioma uses a drug that affects the formation of blood vessels in the tumor – Bevatsizumab (Avastin). Under the influence of the drug, the tumor is insufficiently supplied with blood and, as a result, does not receive the necessary nutrients for its growth.
Published:
Updated:
Information on this webpage verified by the medical expert
Рудченко Олексадр Украіна. Велике спасибі за професіоналізм та чуйність до всього колективу відділення, особливо лікарю Марісу Межецкісу. Лікування відбувалося у січні 2023 року.