Pleural Mesothelioma and Black Lung Disease Prognosis
The prognosis of Pleural Mesothelioma is determined with not one but several factors. The detection of cancer at the early stage usually leads to a favourable prognosis and can have a vast impact on the expectancy of the patient. Mesothelioma, like other forms of cancer, tends to have seriously limited choices of treatment when diagnosed at a later stage and prognosis is even compromised most of the time.
Black lung disease is literally making the miners' lungs black and obtained from constant inhalation of coal dust. The effects of black lung disease are long term and can even cause death. Its reaction to accumulated dust can appear and even worsen during your exposure or even after the inhalation.
Factors
The general health condition of the patient is the most significant factor that influences the prognosis. Mesothelioma diagnosed at an early stage will be able to go through the treatments easier than those who are older, and those with existing conditions. According to studies, persons aged older than 55 are at a higher risk and are more likely to occur to men than women.
The next consideration would be the extent of the metastasis. If the cancer has not yet metastasized to other parts of the body, patient are likely to have several treatment options that will help increase the person's prognosis. Poor prognosis are likely to be in patients that are experiencing difficulty in breathing, having chest pains, cannot carry out daily tasks, weight loss and high level of LDH (lactate dehydrogenase). These are usually indications that the cancer is already on its later stages.
Prognosis for patients who exhibits these symptoms is usually present from six to twelve months. However, persons who are not having these signs will normally have more than a year.
Ways That May Help Improve Prognosis
Stage I patients with Pleural Mesothelioma can opt for a surgery called extrapleural pneumonectomy. This surgery is only offered to patients that are generally in good health. The surgery will remove the affected lung and the lining of the wall of the chest, pericardium and diaphragm. This approach is highly recommended for patients affected with epithelioid cell plerual mesothelioma.
For those patients on the latter stages with black lung disease, an attempt for pleuroctomy can be performed to help increase prognosis. This medical treatment relieves the pain without having to cure the cause of the suffering since it will control the buildup of fluids in the mesothelium or sac. This does not cure, but it can take the pain away and any pressure on the lung.
Survival Rate
As in other lung diseases, the back lung disease is also bleak and narrow. After the diagnosis, there are cancer patients who live for five years or even more. This is called the five-year-survival rate, and the survival rate for this is about 10%. We still need to find out if there's more since these figures come from five years ago. Since treatment and technology have been continually improving, there are chances to improve the survival rate for patients with Mesothelioma and black lung disease.
There are more compelling stories about survivors that are living, and they are willing to tell their stories. This provides hope for other patients under treatment process. Since prognosis may differ depending on cell types, any patient can always hope for a different and longer life expectancy.
Mesothelioma and Asbestos
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelial cells, which cover most internal organs. The two places in which mesothelioma can develop are the lungs and the abdomen, but it is most commonly found in the lungs.
Mesothelioma which affects the lungs is called pleural mesothelioma, and in 70-80% of cases is caused by asbestos fibres being breathed in and becoming stuck in the tissue which covers the lungs (pleura). It is not known for certain what causes mesothelioma in the other 20-30%, although research is continuing.
Who suffers from mesothelioma?
2,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the UK and the number of people who die from it is expected to rise to a peak between 2011 and 2015. This is because the disease can take 15-40 years to develop, and blue and brown asbestos (thought to be the most likely types to cause mesothelioma) were banned only in the late 1908s.
85% of the people who suffer from mesothelioma are male, and this is thought to be because it is mostly men who worked in trades involving asbestos. Most of the women who develop mesothelioma are thought to have breathed in asbestos fibres whilst cleaning the clothing of husbands who worked with the material.
Tradesfolk who are particularly likely to have handled asbestos and are at high risk of developing the industrial illness mesothelioma include:
- Metal plate workers
- Plumbers
- Gas fitters
- Carpenters
- Electricians
- Builders
- Decorators
What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?
Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include:
- pain in the lower back or side of chest
- shortness of breath
- persistent cough
- weight loss
- difficulty swallowing
These symptoms do not necessarily mean a person has mesothelioma as they could apply to a range of other illnesses, but it is much more likely if they have had contact with asbestos.
What is the prognosis for mesothelioma?
The majority of people who suffer from mesothelioma only see their doctor when it has reached an advanced stage, and at this point the likelihood is that survival will be less than a year.
This very much depends on a range of factors, however, which include blood count, general health, and the type of mesothelioma from which a person is suffering.
One study found that 3 years after diagnosis, 1 in 10 people had survived, and after 5 years, survival rate was 1 in 20. However, other studies found a much better survival rate, with one study finding that 1 in 3 mesothelioma patients survived for 5 or more years, although this study only looked at people with epithelioid type tumours.
There is currently no cure for mesothelioma, but a range of drugs and treatments such as chemotherapy can help to delay the symptoms of the disease.
What should someone do if they are diagnosed with mesothelioma?
If there is a history of contact with asbestos in the workplace, an industrial illness claim may well be an option to consider. If successful, it will provide financial support to help the mesothelioma patient and their family pay for treatment and care, as well as substantial compensation for the exposure to asbestos that caused the illness.
Although most compensation claims have to be started within 3 years of the injury occurring, the nature of asbestos-related disease means that the disease does not become obvious for many years, so industrial illness claims are still valid as long as they are begun within 3 years of diagnosis.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/131146
Mesothelioma and Life Expectancy
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, usually caused by exposure to asbestos. When an individual is diagnosed with the disease, there are many questions which will invariably go through their mind. Perhaps the most important one involves the patient's prognosis. That is, what is the life expectancy for someone diagnosed with mesothelioma?
As with any form of cancer, the survival rate for this condition is heavily dependent on how early it is diagnosed. If the disease is already in an advanced state when it is first detected, it will require far more aggressive treatment, with a reduced chance of success.
Unfortunately, the survival rate for mesothelioma has historically been rather low. Many patients do not survive longer than one year after diagnosis. The disease has often spread significantly before it is diagnosed, making it that much more difficult to treat. This is due to the fact that an individual exposed to asbestos can live for decades before any noticeable symptoms present themselves.
In addition, patients diagnosed with mesothelioma are often 55 years of age or older, and may have other medical conditions which complicate their treatment.
The good news is that there are many long-term survivors of mesothelioma, some of whom have lived a decade or more following diagnosis. Some doctors believe these patients survive longer not because of their particular treatment method, but because of other health characteristics specific to the individual. In general, healthier patients with no other existing medical conditions are more likely to survive longer than those with additional diseases and afflictions.
In terms of raw numbers, statistics show that about 10 percent of individuals with mesothelioma live for at least five years after being diagnosed. About 40 percent of those diagnosed survive for at least one year. These numbers are significantly higher than they were just 20 years ago, giving hope to doctors and patients alike.
A few of the other factors that affect survival rates include the specific type of mesothelioma with which an individual is diagnosed, the size and location of their tumor, and whether or not the patient is a smoker. These factors are in addition to the patient's age, any existing medical conditions they may have, and severity of the cancer itself.