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What Are the Signs of Mesothelioma?
Treating Mesothelioma
What Are the Risk Factors for Mesothelioma?
Forms of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma Survival Rate
Coping With Mesothelioma
The Mesothelioma Screening Process
How Many People Get Mesothelioma?
What Is Mesothelioma?
How to Prevent Mesothelioma
Stages of Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma in Younger Patients
How Does Mesothelioma Spread?
History of Mesothelioma
What Causes Mesothelioma?
Facts About Mesothelioma
New Treatments for Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the mesothelial cells in the lining of the chest cavity and the abdo… More
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, comprising ofabout 3 percent of all cancer cases. It affects the me… More
Mesothelioma is a relatively rare disease in the United States because it is primarily caused by extensive… More
The stages of mesothelioma begins with asbestos exposure, but the cancer does not develop until 30 or 40 y… More
You may have seen an ad on television asking if you suffer from mesothelioma and you now wonder about the … More
Mesothelioma was discovered and recognized in 1960 when Dr. Wagner described 33 cases of mesothelioma occu… More
The three forms of mesothelioma include epithelioid mesothelioma, sarcomatoid mesothelioma and biphasic me… More
Cancer is undoubtedly a frightening diagnosis, and sometimes doctors have difficulty trying to pinpoint wh… More
Mesothelioma spreads throughout the body if it goes untreated after being exposed to asbestos, radiation o… More
Mesothelioma is a very dangerous type of cancer that ends in death within an average of just 2 years after… More
New treatments for mesothelioma are constantly being researched, and some of them include surgery, heated … More
Coping with mesothelioma requires coping with the symptoms, which includes fluid in the chest, shortness o… More
Mesothelioma is responsible for 100,000 deaths within the United States each year. Since the 1930's, cases… More
Preventing mesothelioma involves avoiding exposure to asbestos, radiation and certain viruses. Follow thes… More
Summary: Coping with mesothelioma requires coping with the symptoms, which includes fluid in the chest, shortness of breath, chest pain, abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea. Find out what it takes to live with mesothelioma with information from an oncologist in this free video on types of cancer.
Dr. Rolf Freter is a hermatologist and oncologist at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, MA.read more
"Well, the most common side effects of mesothelioma relate to the progressive involvement of the pleura by the cancer -- that is, the covering of the lungs -- or the peritoneum by the cancer -- that is, the covering of the abdomen. And so in the case of the lungs, you literally get a thick rind -- ever-thickening rind -- or orange peel of cancer encasing the lung, which leads to worsening shortness of breath. You're going to also develop a so-called pleural effusion -- fluid in the chest -- that compresses the lung. And so one ends up with chest pain and shortness of breath. To try to cope with that, if one is older or not a candidate for more aggressive therapies, such as extra pleural pneumonectomy -- the removal of the lung -- one might think about a so-called simple pleurectomy or a decortication procedure where the thoracic surgeon goes in and just removes the pleura, thereby, at least, de-bulking to some extent the amount of the disease and allowing the lung to function more. The thoracic surgeon can also go in and drain the pleural effusion, meaning the fluid around the lung, and that can improve the shortness of breath. As far as the pain goes, typically, that's from involvement of nerves in the chest wall. That one has to deal with analgesics, oftentimes morphine-like analgesics, which can be a major problem for these patients. In the case of the abdomen, when one has involvement of the peritoneum, meaning the inside of the abdomen, and fluid, you try to drain the fluid. And one can, again, try to de-bulk the disease in the abdomen. But that's a very major surgery, and not one that many patients are suitable for. So coping often entails symptomatic relief -- pain medications, drainage of fluid in the abdomen or the chest to improve breathing or distention and pain in the abdomen."
eHow Article: Coping With Mesothelioma
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