Medical practitioners dealing with mesothelioma have to approach the condition with a totally modern strategy. New treatment options like angiogenesis, photodynamic as well as gene treatment offer new hope to victims of mesothelioma. Dependent on the stage of the cancer, medical professionals will always pick the best program for you individuals needs, if it’s discovered early.
The 3 principal types of malignant mesothelioma’s are epithelioid, sarcomatoid and mixed/biphasic. Epithelioid is one the most widespread, and between 50 to 70% of all cases noted are this type. Epithelioid also has one of the highest survival rates. It basically effects the internal organs and internal coverings.
Sarcomatoid again attacks different areas of the body,this being the secondary tissues.ie cartilage, muscles, bone and excess fat. Nevertheless, this cancer is significantly rarer, as it only affects between 7 to 20% of people while Mixed/ biphasic accounts for 20-35%.
The most common bodily area for mesothelioma is the pleura, this being (the outer most lining of the lungs and internal chest wall), but it can also show signs in the peritoneum which is the lining of the abdominal cavity, the pericardium or (the sac that fully surrounds the heart), or the tunica vaginalis (a sac surrounding the testis).
Even with the finest screening techniques offered these days mesothelioma is partucularly tricky to diagnose, because the symptoms are very similar to those of a number of other medical conditions. Diagnosis begins with a review of the patient’s medical history. A history of exposure to asbestos may give cause for suspicion for mesothelioma.
A physical examination is carried out,shortly followed by a chest X-ray and quite often some lung function tests. The X-ray may show some signs of pleural thickening commonly seen after asbestos exposure and therefore increases the overall suspicion of mesothelioma within the patient. A CT (or a C.A.T) scan or an MRI is usually performed. If large amounts of fluid is detected, abnormal cells may be detected by cytopathology if this fluid is taken with a long thin syringe.
For pleural fluid it is a little different, this is done by thoracentesis or tube thoracostomy (chest tube); for ascites, with paracentesis or ascitic drain; and for pericardial effusion with pericardiocentesis. While absence of malignant cells on cytology does not completely exclude mesothelioma, it makes it much more unlikely, especially if an alternative diagnosis can be made (e.g. tuberculosis,or heart failure). The use of conventional cytology diagnosis for malignant mesothelioma is always difficult, but technology has greatly enhanced the accuracy of cytology.
Generally, a biopsy will be required to confirm the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. A doctor will remove a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope by a pathologist. A biopsy may be carried out in a number of different ways.
This is all depending on where the abnormal area is located. If for example the cancer is detected in the chest,then the doctor may perform a thoracoscopy.This procedure is carried out by means of a small cut through the chest wall and,a lighted thin tube called a thoracoscope inserted into the chest between two of the ribs.
Thoracoscopy gives the doctor an opportunity to look inside the chest and collect some tissue samples. As an alternative, the surgeon may directly open the chest.
If the cancer is found to be in the abdomen,then the doctor may perform a laparoscopy. To obtain the tissue needed for examination, the doctor makes a small incision in the abdomen and inserts a special medical instrument into the abdominal cavity. If any of these procedures do not yield enough of the tissue required,a much more extensive diagnostic surgery may be necessary.