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Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer which affects approximately 2,000 to 3,000 people in the United States each year. Retired employees who have worked at known asbestos sites such as powerhouses, oil refineries, power plants, shipyards, and construction sites should seek immediate diagnosis to determine if they have developed this deadly disease. Mesothelioma life expectancy in retired employees varies and depends on numerous factors.
Mesothelioma is a cancer that attacks the mesothelium membrane that covers the internal organs of the body. This mesothelium is made of two parts. One contains cells while the other portion contains fluids that allow the organs to move freely within their cavities. This is vital for the operation for organs such as the lungs that expand and contract continuously during their operations.
The survival rate for mesothelioma patients about twenty years ago was less than one year from the time of diagnosis, but with early detection and aggressive treatment mesothelioma patients are living longer that predicted. With new developments and ongoing research mesothelioma sufferers are gaining more hope about their treatment and longer life expectance.
Treatment options offered to patients are decided on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on the stage of mesothelioma. Likewise, the survival rate of the disease is also dependent on its development stage and reduces significantly in the last stages. Staging refers to the extent of the cancer developments within patients and is characterized by the kind of tumor and the degree to which it has spread throughout the body. With the knowledge of the various stages, the mesothelioma specialists are able to decide on a treatment plan and identify clinical trials for them. The type or treatment also depends on the reason for the development of the cancer, the kind of tumor, its propensity for invasion of nearby organs and tissues as well as the distant spread or metastatic to other body parts.
Do you what causes Mesothelioma? Mesothelioma is a dreaded disease caused by asbestiform, or more popularly known asbestos. This disease is a slow killer. The disease develops atleast 30 to 40 years after it has been contracted.