Rare Forms Of Cancer To Be Aware Of

Diagnosis And Treatments For Mesothelioma

Diagnosis typically occurs for patients after the age of sixty-five, with only a life expectancy of five years or less, as most deaths occur at approximately seventy years of age. On average, only eight percent of Americans will survive past five years following the diagnosis. A diagnosis often occurs with a chest X-ray and CT scan and is either confirmed by examining fluid produced by this cancer or by a tissue biopsy of this cancer.

Prevention of this illness focuses on reducing the exposure to asbestos for those who already have the disease and for those who are prone to developing it. Treatment often includes the traditional methods for treating cancer, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery to remove infected tissue. A procedure known as pleurodesis, which involves using specific substances such as talc to fuse together the pleura (the sac surrounding the lung) to prevent the buildup of fluid around the lungs, can also be used. Chemotherapy can also include cancer destroying medications, such as cisplatin and pemetrexed.