A Move Toward Pericardial Mesothelioma Cure

Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 5:20 am

Pericardial Mesothelioma is a serious heart condition which consists of cancerous cells building up on the lining of the heart. Similarly to pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma, this is a terminal illness due to the importance of the area on which it grows.

The asbestos related disease Pericardial Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the lining of the lungs and abdomen. High Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma cancers. Asbestos is a natural fibrous mineral that was widely used in the construction process, building material and many manufacturing units. Asbestos breaks into minute particles that float into the air, can be easily inhaled and settle on the clothes of workmen, leaving them and their family members prone to many health hazards.

The symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma change from patient to patient. Usual symptoms include persistent coughing, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and palpitations. Other symptoms patients may experience are nausea, weight loss, vomiting and loss of appetite.

Once detected, the chances of survival of an average mesothelioma patient are very bleak. The options for Mesothelioma cure depend upon the different stages of the disease. In the first stage the treatments options depends on factors such as patient’s age, general health, organ affected and the size of tumor.

Surgery comes in two forms; aggressive surgery and palliative procedures. Aggressive surgery is a very difficult procedure and consists of removing large chunks of cancerous cells in an attempt to gain long term control over the cancer. Palliative procedures just attempts to lessen the symptoms for the patient.

What Is The Prognosis For a Mesothelioma Cure?

A mesothelioma cure will depend on how strong and resistant the person is to disease and on the concentration of asbestos in the environment around him. It is possible to get pericardial mesothelioma from as little as a couple of months of exposure to asbestos although on average it would take a couple of years for enough asbestos fibres to build up to cause cancer.

This is highly dependent on how early and how aggressively the cancer is treated. If pericardial mesothelioma is treated when it has fully developed and matured then the chances of a patient’s survival is very small. The prognosis could be only a couple of months.

Research into cures of pericardial mesothelioma and all other forms of mesothelioma is being done in numerous research labs all over the USA. Many pharmaceutical companies are also working hard to research new drugs for chemotherapy. So far, research has been mostly unsuccessful.