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Stage 4 Mesothelioma Prognosis
Catherine A. Murphy
The final and the most advanced stage of mesothelioma is the Stage 4. In this stage the cancer has metastasized to various parts of the body like the brain, the entire abdomen and other organs of the abdominal and chest cavity. As it has spread to various organs far away from the primary location, it is also called as the “distant metastatic cancer.
Prognosis processes in Stage 4 Mesothelioma
The prognosis for Stage 4 mesothelioma patients is not very encouraging as at this stage, doctors can find out that the cancer has spread to various parts of the body and they will only use drugs to reduce pain and try to stop its further spreading. There are various systems employed to analyze the staging of mesothelioma like:
- The Butchart System indicates the Stage 4 mesothelioma as the stage where the cancer has spread to various organs and tissues of the body and has reached the bloodstream. Though the spreading of the cancer can be in pattern, it is considered as a final stage if it affects the brain and other vital organs.
- In mesothelioma Stage 4 – TNM System, mesothelioma has spread to various organs and has metastasized to one or both sides of the body. In case of pleural mesothelioma, both sides of the lungs are affected and in peritoneal mesothelioma, the cancer has spread to both sides of the abdomen. It has also affected the organs in the neck and lymph nodes.
- In mesothelioma Stage 4 – Brigham System, the primary tumor cannot be removed through surgery as the tumor has increased in size and has spread to the vital organs of the body. Also as it has metastasized to other organs, the cancer will most likely recur in spite of the surgical removal of the primary tumors.
Mesothelioma Stage 4 – Treatment Options
The treatment offered to Stage 4 mesothelioma patients is only symptomatic and palliative. It is usually of no use to remove the tumor surgically at this stage unless it can relieve them of severe pain or discomfort. Moreover, they might not have the strength to withstand the surgery. Only non-surgical palliative treatment is offered to relieve pain and other symptoms. Usually thoracentesis or paracentesis is done to remove the accumulated fluid from the lungs or abdomen to relieve pain and pressure on internal organs.
At times, mesothelioma chemotherapy and radiation therapy is used to reduce the size of the tumors to provide relief. As these treatment options have quite a lot of side effects, they should be opted only if they provide any kind of relief and lessen the pain and discomfort.Instead of any kind of treatment, patients in this stage of mesothelioma should get more of family support and pain management guidance.