Is Mesothelioma a Lung Cancer?The lining of your stomach (peritoneum) is also a potential source of mesothelioma. The disease is usually in its final stages, and symptoms can take as long as 50 years to manifest.Diagnostic tests like biopsy and imaging tests are used by doctors to diagnose mesothelioma. Treatment plans usually involve chemotherapy, surgery and/or radiation.Pleural mesotheliomaPleural mesothelioma is a type of cancer that typically occurs in the lung's lining. It is the most frequent mesothelioma. Patients tend to have better outcomes than patients with other types, like peritoneal or pericardial.When a patient complains about lung problems such as coughing or shortness in breath doctors might suspect asbestosis pleural. They will then request a series of tests to determine an official diagnosis, including x-rays, CT scans and MRIs, as well as blood work and a biopsy. To take a biopsy, doctors insert a small, lighted tube known as a thoracoscope into the chest, between two ribs.Mesothelioma symptoms can be similar to other diseases and make it difficult to recognize the disease early. Some people experience no symptoms and, when they do exhibit signs, they are often mistaken for pneumonia or other less serious diseases. The best way to get an accurate diagnosis is to see mesothelioma specialists or go to a mesothelioma treatment center. Mesothelioma specialists have a lot of experience dealing with this rare disease and will be able to recognize the symptoms more easily.If a mesothelioma-related diagnosis is confirmed, doctors will determine the best treatment options for each patient. They will consider the stage of mesothelioma, as well as the type of cancer cell and their location. Patients with pleural mesothelioma that is in an earlier stage usually have a better prognosis than those who have mesothelioma that is later in its stage. This is because the cancer cells are still localized.Patients with pleural mesothelioma could benefit from treatments for cancer, surgery and radiation. They should also receive palliative treatment to reduce symptoms and improve their quality of life.While mesothelioma cannot be cured but it can be treated in order to prolong the life span of the patient. Like all forms of mesothelioma, it's crucial to seek treatment as soon as possible so the doctors can begin formulating an appropriate treatment strategy.Peritoneal mesotheliomaA person diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma has cancer that is located in the abdomen's lining or chest cavity. Like pleural mesothelioma symptoms can include pain, difficulty breathing and fluid buildup. People may also experience vomiting and nausea. A doctor could also recommend palliative care in addition to surgery and chemotherapy to ease symptoms and improve the quality of life.Doctors diagnose peritoneal mesothelioma with imaging scans of chest and abdomen. A biopsy may confirm the diagnosis. In a biopsy doctors remove tiny pieces of tissue or liquid from the tumor and examine it under microscope.The most commonly observed indication of peritoneal mesothelioma is abdominal pain that can feel scattered or restricted to one area. Other symptoms include a persistent cough that doesn't go away or subsides, as well as weight loss and fever. The prognosis for a mesothelioma patient is based on various factors, including cell type and stage of the illness. The gender of a person may also influence their prognosis. Females and women born have better results from peritoneal cancer compared to men and those who are male.Changes (mutations) within the DNA, of a cell, can cause mesothelioma. This mutation causes the cells to multiply and grow out of control. The cancerous cells can then form a tumor, or collection of abnormal cells.Most people who have mesothelioma work in professions that involve exposure to asbestos. Asbestos was previously used for construction plumbing, electrical work, and the automobile industry. Asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma.Malignant mesothelioma is often difficult to treat if it is advanced. Doctors may recommend chemotherapy, surgery or radiation therapy to treat mesothelioma. These treatments are designed for cancer cells to be attacked without harming healthy cells. Combining them will give patients a better chance of finding a cure. Doctors will determine which treatment is best for the patient according to their cancer stage, health in general and personal preferences. They may also recommend new therapies that have shown potential in treating mesothelioma.Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP)Extrapleural pneumonectomy is a mesothelioma treatment that can be performed on patients with pleural mesothelioma who are healthy enough to undergo surgery. During the procedure, doctors will remove the affected lung mesothelioma and a portion of the lining around it. In certain instances, doctors will also remove the diaphragm and pericardium. This is among the most effective mesothelioma treatments. EPP is performed by specially trained mesothelioma specialists in mesothelioma treatment centers throughout the United States.Mesothelioma specialists typically run a variety of tests to determine whether patients are able to undergo surgery. PET and CT scans as well as mediastinoscopy are some of the tests that may be conducted. These tests allow doctors to observe the tumors and the extent to which they have expanded. If mesothelioma has advanced enough for surgical removal, doctors could attempt to shrink or stabilize the tumors by using chemotherapy.The goal of mesothelioma treatment is to improve the quality of life and increase the life expectancy. But mesothelioma suffers from a long latency period and is often difficult to diagnose early. Many patients already show symptoms before they are diagnosed.Doctors recommend that patients receive multiple treatment methods in a multimodal approach. This is due to the fact that mesothelioma treatment methods aren't effective on by themselves. The combination of treatments increases the effects of each. For instance radiation therapy may help reduce the size of mesothelioma tumors before surgery making it easier to remove. Doctors have even tried using intense radiation before EPP (known as SMART) and this has extended the life expectancy of mesothelioma patients.EPP is a complicated mesothelioma surgical procedure that requires general anesthesia. Once the anesthesia takes effect the surgeon will create an incision of 9 inches on the front of the chest, which is called either the thoracotomy or sternotomy. The surgeon will then separate the chest wall and lungs from any other organs.This is a potentially risky procedure and only mesothelioma patients who are in good health and physically fit enough to undergo it. After the procedure, patients will spend several weeks in the hospital. They will then need to recuperate at home or a rehabilitation center.Trimodality therapyThree standard treatments are available for mesothelioma, radiation therapy, surgery, and chemotherapy. Doctors can also choose to make use of a combination of these (called multimodality therapy). Survivors have different treatment options based on the type of mesothelioma they have and how far it has spread.The first step to treat mesothelioma is to obtain an accurate diagnosis from mesothelioma specialists. Mesothelioma can be difficult detect because cancerous cells can look like normal cells. To confirm a diagnosis doctors will test fluid or tissue samples to determine if there is mesothelioma. Doctors also consider the patient's medical history to determine whether mesothelioma was the probable cause.Some symptoms of mesothelioma include coughing, chest pain and breathing problems. Doctors order an X ray or CT scan to look for abnormal thickening in the lining of the lungs, calcium deposits, and fluid buildup. A doctor can also perform biopsy, where tiny samples are taken from the tumor or surrounding tissue for analysis.Other imaging tests that doctors commonly employ to determine how advanced mesothelioma is include positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These tests require taking images of the body using magnetic fields and radio waves. The mesothelioma cells absorb the radioactive atoms during these tests, and they show up brighter on the images than healthy cells.If the mesothelioma is spreading to the pleura (the lung's lining) doctors may recommend surgery to stop it. Depending on the stage at which the disease, this might be extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) which is which is a more extensive procedure that involves removing the affected lung as well as a portion of the diaphragm. This is also known as pleurectomy with decortication (P/D). Typically, these surgeries are done in conjunction with other mesothelioma treatments, like radiation or chemotherapy.Chemotherapy involves the use of drugs that kill cancer cells while enhancing a patient's life quality. Pemetrexed, a chemotherapy medication used to treat pleural mesothelioma, can be administered alone or in combination with carboplatin and cisplatin. For peritoneal mesothelioma chemotherapy is usually administered intravenously. Patients are able to receive chemotherapy as an outpatient from Monday to Friday for 4-7 weeks.