Monday, March 21, 2011

Mesothelioma information

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the chest or abdomen. Asbestos exposure is the most common cause of mesothelioma. The latency period (the time from the initial asbestos exposure to the development of cancer) for mesothelioma is 40 or more years from first asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is an essentially incurable disease and the primary goal of therapy is to improve the quality of life and prolong survival.

The prognosis of patients with malignant mesothelioma is poor, with a mean survival of about 1 year and a 5-year survival rate of only a few percent. The prognosis is worse in male patients and in patients with extensive disease and with poor performance status. In general, mesothelioma prognosis depends on the following factors: the size of cancer, how extensively it has spread, how the cancer looks under the microscope, and how the cancer respons to treatment. Patients diagnosed with early-stage disease have a better prognosis than those diagnosed with advanced disease.

1 comment:

  1. Mesothelioma cancer or Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos fibers, when they get lodged in membranes that cover many vital organs of the body.It is a fatal disease that can severely affect the health conditions of a person. This is a severe type of cancer.

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