Mesothelioma advice and treatment
Alternative and complementary therapies
There are no proven effective alternative therapies for mesothelioma. Because the prognosis is often poor, many patients may be interested in trying other avenues of treatment. Patients should first consult with their physicians prior to trying any of these methods. There are many well-studied complementary treatments that may increase a patient's comfort and sense of well-being. These may include meditation to aid in relaxation, massage to decrease pain, and guided imagery to help prevent nausea.
Coping with cancer treatment
Coping with cancer treatment can be difficult and exhausting. It can be very helpful for the patient receiving therapy for mesothelioma to find a group of family and friends who can aid with household responsibilities, provide transportation, and give psychological support. The patient should not feel a need to rush back to normal activities after treatment is completed.
Clinical trials
A great deal of research is being performed in the area of mesothelioma. Much of the research is focused on finding out how asbestos changes the mesothelial cells to cause these cancers. In addition, new combinations of treatments are being tested, along with gene therapy. A variety of clinical trials are testing new chemotherapy drugs and immunotherapy. Some of these treatments use hormonelike substances called inter-leukins and interferons that activate the immune system.
Prevention
The best method of preventing mesothelioma is to avoid or limit exposure to asbestos. People who might experience asbestos exposure at work include miners, insulation manufacturers, construction workers, ship builders, and factory workers.
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Epidemiology
Incidence
Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. The incidence is approximately one per 1,000,000. For comparison, populations with high levels of smoking can have a lung cancer incidence of over 1,000 per 1,000,000. Incidence of malignant mesothelioma currently ranges from about 7 to 40 per 1,000,000 in industrialized Western nations, depending on the amount of asbestos exposure of the populations during the past several decades[3]. It has been estimated that incidence may have peaked at 15 per 1,000,000 in the United States in 2004. Incidence is expected to continue increasing in other parts of the world. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. Approximately one fifth to one third of all mesotheliomas are peritoneal.
Risk factors
Working with asbestos is the major risk factor for mesothelioma. A history of asbestos exposure exists in almost all cases. However, mesothelioma has been reported in some individuals without any known exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals that occur naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated into thin threads and woven. Asbestos has been widely used in many industrial products, including cement, brake linings, roof shingles, flooring products, textiles, and insulation. If tiny asbestos particles float in the air, especially during the manufacturing process, they may be inhaled or swallowed, and can cause serious health problems. In addition to mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos increases the risk of lung cancer, asbestosis (a noncancerous, chronic lung ailment), and other cancers, such as those of the larynx and kidney.
The combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the airways (lung cancer, bronchial carcinoma). The Kent brand of cigarettes used asbestos in its filters for the first few years of production in the 1950s and some cases of mesothelioma have resulted. Smoking current cigarettes does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma.
Some studies suggest that simian virus 40 (SV40) may act as a cofactor in the development of mesothelioma[4].
