Hey everyone! It's been a little while since I've posted while I get the swing of my full time school schedule. I am a full time student at University of Houston Clear Lake's Fitness & Human Performance program--- and I LOVE IT!! The fitness world is constantly improving, learning more, adapting- I want to be like that for the readers of my blog- I'll keep learning & sharing along my student journey!
In the meantime if you have a facebook account, you should "like" my page on facebook- I share shorter tidbits and some great motivational pictures! Here's the link to that page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/FitnessHealthHappiness
Please feel free to message me anytime at that page- I answer ALL fitness related messages. I feel strongly that the more we learn about our health, the more likely we are to make the right decisions- because we know WHY :) Everyone should have access to fitness information and support- if I don't know the answer to your question, I will find someone who knows or a resource that can explain it and I will get back to you! In the meantime, get out there and enjoy life :) !!!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
New Advancements in the Treatment of Mesothelioma
“The latest developments in the treatment of Mesothelioma”
By: Erin Brush
Imagine the hardest-working person that you know; for most of us, this probably conjures images of people of strength and of untouchable work ethic, such as our military, maritime workers, railway workers, miners, drill men and more. If you have experience with or familial connections to someone who fits this image, a person who has put in hard and honest work for their entire lives, then it may be devastating to learn that they are the very population at highest risk for developing deadly Mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lung lining and, in the United States, it is primarily caused by exposure to Asbestos. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that was used in many industrial and insulation materials as a way of making them more fire retardant before its use was banned in the 1980’s. Before it was banned as a result of the research determining its health dangers, many hard working people were exposed to it and the risks that asbestos exposure poses (Mesothelioma&lungcancer.org).
Mesothelioma is aggressive and it is a serious diagnosis; because of the gravity of getting such news weighing so heavily on the receiver and their family, many people will avoid discussing treatment right away. It is a devastating message to accept and feelings of shock and fear are both acceptable and reasonable. Despite this reality, it does not minimize the gravity of the situation to take a proactive approach and move mental processes towards considering treatment options. Due to the nature of Mesothelioma, it is not only proactive, it is necessary. Absolutely all Mesothelioma diagnosed individuals have treatment options. These options may be curative or palliative in nature; whichever the patient chooses, they should be aware and given an understanding of everything that they could choose.
The encouraging news is that there are a growing number of treatment options in the field of Mesothelioma. Current treatment is usually one or a combination of the options of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy and will depend on a number of individualized characteristics of that particular patient’s condition (www.maacenter.org). That is, what works best for one patient is not necessarily going to be what is best for another patient of the same diagnosis with different characteristics. Finding the best treatment is a collaborative effort between the patient and the specialist physicians who will be handling their treatment who could include an oncologist, a pulmonologist, radiologist and more. The collaboration of specialists will help the patient to benefit from the expertise of each of their perspectives so that they can provide the best information for that particular patient to decide what they want based on their patient rights.
Though the current widely-used treatments available for Mesothelioma have generated an exponentially higher degree of hope in recent years, the latest developments in the treatment of Mesothelioma are found in clinical trial participation. Patients with a diagnosis of Mesothelioma can choose to participate in clinical trials which test new treatments and medications before they are released to the general public for use in treatment. In these clinical trials, the medications being used have not yet passed the test to determine correct dosage required to achieve the effectiveness of the drug being used. The clinical trials themselves are that test. Patients that choose to participate are receiving the latest treatments available and also serving what is potentially a higher purpose in providing research information to help medical professionals get closer to discovering ways to treat and even someday cure Mesothelioma (www.asbestos.com).
Extraplural pneumonectomy (EPP) is one of the latest developments in Mesothelioma treatment. It involves the removal of the lung along with the covering tissue of the lung, the heart and the diaphragm. This treatment has resulted in long term survival and a significant reduction in the number of cancerous cells present in the patient (www.asbestos.com). This treatment has been associated with high mortality rates during surgery or following the surgery as a result of serious complications, though these rates have been decreasing as surgical technique improves and procedure experience among surgeons is established. Mortality rates have dropped to less than 5% (www.mesotheliomahelp.net). Despite having a relatively high complication risk, most surgeons who find that a patient is a good candidate for the surgery would encourage the patient to go through with the procedure because of the value of the potential benefits.
Another developing treatment in Mesothelioma research is intracavitary chemotherapy. This treatment is currently being evaluated and has shown some promising results thus far. In this treatment, the patient undergoes surgery to remove the tumor during which chemotherapy is administered directly into the chest and abdominal cavity. Healthy cells are protected during this procedure through the use of a cytoprotective agent to isolate against the chemotherapy effects (www.asbestos.com). Different chemotherapy drugs and drug combinations are being researched to determine what is most effective and these developing advancements may be very encouraging for the future of Mesothelioma treatment.
Mesothelioma is a heavily weighted diagnosis that comes with a lot of fear and panic for those who receive it and for their family members. They may feel hopeless or overwhelmed by the information and frustrated that such a diagnosis can be tied to what is debatably the hardest working class of individuals. Though these emotions are reasonable and founded, all patients receiving this diagnosis and their family members must rally to arm themselves with information about the latest options for treatment. Having this information gives the patient the ability to decide what they do value and what they do want out of their care. Knowing that a treatment option is available is not a commitment to undergo it and learning new options should not be avoided as a means of control. Ultimately the power of choice is in the patient’s hands alone and that power is only strengthened by the information available to them.
References:
Mesothelioma&lungcancer.org. (n.d.). Mesothelioma- cancer of the lung lining. Retrieved from http://www.mesothelioma-lung-cancer.org/asbestos-causes-mesothelioma.html
www.asbestos.com. (n.d.). Mesothelioma cure. Retrieved from http://www.asbestos.com/treatment/mesothelioma-cure.php
www.maacenter.org. (n.d.). Mesothelioma treatment. Retrieved from http://www.maacenter.org/mesothelioma/treatment/
www.mesotheliomahelp.net. (n.d.). Mesothelioma treatments: Curative surgery – extrapleural pneumonectomy. Retrieved from http://www.mesotheliomahelp.net/mesothelioma-treatments-extrapleural-pneumonectomy
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