Prevention

Reduce your exposure to asbestos can reduce your risk of mesothelioma.

Find out if you work with asbestos

Most people with mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos fibers at work. Workers who may encounter asbestos fibers are:

minors

Factory workers

Manufacturers of insulation

Shipbuilders

Construction workers

auto mechanics

Ask your employer if you have a risk of exposure to asbestos in the workplace.

Follow the safety instructions from your employer

Follow all safety instructions in your workplace, such as protective equipment. You may also be required to shower and change your work clothes before taking a lunch break or go home. Talk to your doctor about other precautions you can take to protect yourself against exposure to asbestos.

Be careful around asbestos in your home

The old houses and buildings may contain asbestos. In many cases, it is more dangerous to remove asbestos that leave intact. Breaking asbestos can cause fibers to become airborne, where they can be inhaled. Consult experts trained to detect asbestos in your home. These experts can test the air in your home to determine if asbestos is hazardous to your health. Do not attempt to remove asbestos from your home - hire a qualified expert. Agency Environmental Protection provides advice on its website to deal with asbestos in the home.

Coping and support

A mesothelioma diagnosis can be devastating not only for you but also for your family and friends. To regain a sense of control, try:

Know enough about mesothelioma to make decisions about your care. Write down questions to ask your doctor. Ask your health care team for information to help you better understand your condition. Good places to start looking for more information include the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society.

Surround yourself with a support network. Close friends or family can help you with everyday tasks such as getting to appointments or treatment. If you have trouble asking for help, learn to be honest with yourself and accept help when you need it.

Looking for other people with cancer. Ask your health care team about cancer support groups in your community. Sometimes there are issues that can not be solved by other people with cancer. Support groups provide an opportunity to ask these questions and receive support from people who understand your situation. Support online message boards, such as the Survivors Network of Cancer American Cancer Society can provide similar benefits while allowing you to remain anonymous.

Plan ahead. Ask your health care team about advance directives that give your family guidance of your medical wishes in case you can not speak for yourself.

Alternative medicine

No alternative medicine treatments have proven useful in the treatment of mesothelioma. But complementary and alternative treatments can help the signs and symptoms of mesothelioma control. Discuss options with your doctor.

Mesothelioma can cause pressure inside your chest that can make you feel like you are always short of breath. Shortness of breath can be painful. Your doctor may recommend the use of oxygen or take medication to make you more comfortable, but often this is not enough. Combine recommended by your doctor with complementary and alternative treatments can help you feel better.

Alternative treatments that have shown some promise in helping people cope with shortness of breath are:

Acupuncture. Acupuncture uses fine needles inserted into specific points in your skin.

Breath training. A nurse or physical therapist can teach you breathing techniques to use when you feel breathless. Sometimes you may feel out of breath and start to panic. Using these techniques can help you feel more in control of your breathing.

Relaxation exercises. Slowly tensing and relaxing various muscle groups can help you feel more comfortable and breathe easier. Your doctor may refer you to a therapist who can teach you relaxation exercises so that you can make yourself.

Sitting near a fan. Leading a fan of your face can help relieve shortness of breath.

Treatments and drugs

What are the treatments you undergo for mesothelioma depends on your certain aspects of your health and cancer, as the stage and localization. Unfortunately, mesothelioma is often an aggressive disease and for most people a cure is not possible. Mesothelioma is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage - when it is not possible to remove the cancer through surgery. Instead, your doctor may work to control your cancer to make you more comfortable.
Discuss treatment goals with your doctor. Some people want to do everything they can to treat their cancer, even if it means that the lasting side effects for a small chance of improvement. Others prefer treatments that make them comfortable so they can live their remaining symptoms as possible.
SurgerySurgeons work to remove mesothelioma when it is diagnosed at an early stage. In some cases, it can cure cancer.
Sometimes it is not possible to remove all the cancer. In these cases, surgery can help reduce the signs and symptoms caused by mesothelioma spreading in your body.
Surgical options may include:
Surgery to reduce fluid accumulation. Pleural mesothelioma can cause a buildup of fluid in the chest, causing breathing difficulties. Surgeons insert a tube or catheter in your chest to drain fluid. Doctors can also inject drugs in your chest to prevent fluid return (pleurodesis).Surgery to remove tissue around the lungs or abdomen. Surgeons can remove the tissue that lines the ribs and lungs (pleurectomy) or the tissue that lines the abdominal cavity (peritonectomy). This procedure will not cure mesothelioma, but can relieve the signs and symptoms.Surgery to remove as much cancer as possible (debulking). If all of the cancer can not be removed, surgeons may try to eliminate as much as possible. Debulking allows doctors to direct treatment more precise radiation therapy to relieve pain and fluid buildup caused by mesothelioma.Surgery to remove a lung and surrounding tissues. Removing the affected lung and tissue around it can relieve the signs and symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. If you receive radiation therapy to the breast after surgery, this procedure also allows doctors to use higher doses because they will not need to worry about protecting your lungs from harmful radiation.ChemotherapyChemotherapy uses chemicals to kill cancer cells. Systemic chemotherapy travels throughout the body and can shrink or slow the growth of mesothelioma that can not be removed by surgery. Chemotherapy can also be used before surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) for easier operation or after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy) to reduce the risk that the cancer will come back.
Chemotherapy drugs can also be heated and administered directly into the abdominal cavity (intraperitoneal chemotherapy), in the case of peritoneal mesothelioma, or the thoracic cavity (intrapleural chemotherapy) in the case of pleural mesothelioma. With this strategy, chemotherapy drugs can reach the mesothelioma directly without harming healthy cells in other parts of the body. This allows doctors to administer higher doses of chemotherapy drugs.
RadiotherapyRadiation therapy focuses the high-energy beams, such as X-rays, in one place or at specific locations on your body. Radiation therapy may reduce signs and symptoms in people with pleural mesothelioma. Radiation therapy is sometimes used after a biopsy or surgery to prevent mesothelioma spread to the surgical incision.
Clinical trialsClinical trials are studies of new methods of treatment of mesothelioma. People with mesothelioma can opt for a clinical trial for a chance to try new types of treatment. However, recovery is not guaranteed. Carefully consider your treatment options and talk to your doctor about what clinical trials are open for you. Your participation in a clinical trial may help physicians better understand how to treat mesothelioma in the future.
Clinical trials are currently investigating a number of targeted drugs. Targeted drug therapy uses drugs to attack specific abnormalities in cancer cells. Targets studied in mesothelioma include a substance that cancer cells are to attract new blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to cancer. Researchers hope drugs that target these areas can help kill mesothelioma cells.
Treatment for other types of mesotheliomaPericardial mesothelioma and mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis are very rare. Cancer at an early stage can be removed by surgery. Doctors have yet to determine the best way to treat cancer later stage, though. Your doctor may recommend other treatments to improve your quality of life

Tests and diagnosis

If you have signs and symptoms that might indicate mesothelioma, your doctor will perform a physical examination to check for lumps or other unusual signs. Your doctor may prescribe imaging tests, such as chest radiography and computed tomography (CT) scan of your chest or abdomen to look for abnormalities. Based on the results, you can receive additional testing to determine whether mesothelioma or another disease is causing your symptoms.

Biopsy

Biopsy, a procedure to remove a small portion of tissue for laboratory examination, is the only way to determine whether you have mesothelioma. Depending on what area of ​​your body is affected, your doctor selects the right biopsy procedure for you. Options include:

Fine needle aspiration. The doctor removes fluid or a piece of tissue with a small needle inserted into the chest or abdomen.

Thoracoscopy. Thoracoscopy allows the surgeon to see inside your chest. In this procedure, the surgeon makes one or more small incisions between your ribs. A tube with a tiny video camera is then inserted into your chest cavity - a procedure sometimes called video-thoracoscopy surgery (VATS). Special surgical tools allow your surgeon to cut small pieces of tissue for testing.

Laparoscopy. Laparoscopy allows the surgeon to see inside your abdomen. Using one or more small incisions in the abdomen, the surgeon inserts a tiny camera and special surgical tools to obtain for examination a small piece of tissue.

Thoracotomy. Thoracotomy is surgery to open your chest, between the ribs to allow the surgeon to check for signs of disease. A tissue sample can be removed for test.

Laparotomy. Laparotomy is surgery to open your abdomen to allow a surgeon to check for signs of disease. A tissue sample can be removed for test.

The tissue sample is analyzed under a microscope to see if the abnormal tissue is mesothelioma and what types of cells are involved. The type of mesothelioma you have determines your treatment plan.

Directed by

Once mesothelioma is diagnosed, your doctor other tests to determine the extent or stage of cancer. Imaging tests that can help determine the stage of your cancer may include:

The chest radiograph

Computed tomography of the thorax and abdomen

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Positron emission tomography (PET)

Your doctor will determine which tests are most appropriate for you. Not every person needs each test.

Once the extent of pleural mesothelioma is determined, a stage is assigned.

Phase I mesothelioma is considered localized cancer, meaning that it is limited to a portion of the wall of the chest.

Phase II mesothelioma may spread beyond the wall of the chest to a membrane or lung.

Phase III mesothelioma can spread to other structures in the chest and may involve nearby lymph nodes.

Stage IV mesothelioma is an advanced cancer that has spread more widely across the chest. Stage IV can also indicate that mesothelioma has spread to distant parts of the body such as the brain, liver and lymph nodes around the chest.

Formal steps are not available for other types of mesothelioma because these types are rare and are not well studied.

Preparing for your appointment

If you have lung or abdominal symptoms, you're likely to start by seeing your family doctor or a general practitioner. However, in some cases, when you call to make an appointment, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in lung diseases (pulmonologist) or abdominal problems (gastroenterologist).

Because appointments can be brief, and because there's often a lot of ground to cover, it's a good idea to be well prepared. Here is some information to help you prepare and what to expect from your doctor.

What you can do

Be aware of the restrictions pre-appointment. When you make the appointment, be sure to ask if there is something you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet.

Write down any symptoms you're experiencing, including those that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.

Write down key personal information, including major stresses or recent life changes.

Make a list of all medications, vitamins or supplements that you are taking or have recently taken.

Consider taking a family member or friend along. Sometimes it can be difficult to remember all the information provided during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.

Write down questions to ask your doctor.

Gather all medical records, such as chest X-rays passed that relate to your condition.

Your time with your doctor is limited, so preparing a list of questions can help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most important to least important in case time runs out. For mesothelioma, some basic questions to ask your doctor:

What is likely causing my symptoms or condition?

What are the other options for my symptoms or condition causes?

What kinds of tests do I need?

Can I see my chest X-ray?

Is my condition likely temporary or chronic?

What is the best way to proceed?

What are the alternatives to the primary approach that you're suggesting?

I have these other health problems. How can I best manage them together?

Are there any restrictions I should follow?

Should I see a specialist? What will that cost, and my insurance cover it?

Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can take with me? What websites do you recommend?

What will determine whether I should plan for a follow-up visit?

In addition to the questions that you've prepared to ask your doctor, do not hesitate to ask other questions that come to.

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions. Be ready to answer them may allow more time to cover other points you want to address. Your doctor may ask you:

When did you begin experiencing symptoms?

Were your symptoms continuous or occasional?

What is the severity of your symptoms?

What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?

What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?

It hurts to take a deep breath?

Your symptoms affect your ability to work?

Have you ever worked with asbestos?

What you can do in the meantime

Try to avoid anything that aggravates your symptoms. For example, if you experience shortness of breath, try to go easy on until you meet with your doctor. If your breath becomes painful or uncomfortable, consult a doctor immediately