Peritoneal mesothelioma is part of the asbestos cancers, attacking the peritoneum. It can be of two forms, malignant or benign. Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is the deadly disease of the two, because it is able to spread and develop metastases throughout the body in a very short period of time. On the other hand, benign peritoneal mesothelioma is not deadly at all, most people aren't even being aware that the disease is present (most of the times it doesn't cause any symptoms).
Peritoneal mesothelioma treatment
Treatment options available for peritoneal mesothelioma patients of the malignant kind are numerous and most of the times doctors use several of them in order to provide with the best effectiveness possible. This is a list of treatment methods available:
- mesothelioma surgery (removal of tumor and cancer tissue)
- chemotherapy (intraperitoneal, to attack the cancer at the source, most common drug being cisplatin)
- cytoreduction (performed with the help of a little invasive type of surgery)
- pain killers (to stop pain in the abdomen region)
Peritoneal mesothelioma surgery
Surgery is the most common treatment method after a diagnosis that clearly shows the presence of peritoneal mesothelioma. There are several types of surgery that can be performed:
- cytoreductive surgery (reduces the number of cancer cells)
- diagnosis surgery (allows doctors to see where the cancer is present, and if it has developed metastases)
- pneumonectomy (if it has reached the lungs, the removal of one of them might be offering the patient with great symptomatic and pain relieve)
- surgery to remove tumors
- surgery that aids the intraperitoneal chemotherapy technique
As you can see, surgery is used to provide with all sorts of advantages, from diagnosis to pain reliever, surgery will most likely be used in all peritoneal mesothelioma cases. The latest research done regarding this treatment method provides with less invasive procedures from the patient is able to recover fast and safe. Past surgical procedures were highly invasive and required a long period of recovery, during which peritoneal mesothelioma was able to evolve very much.
Surgery for peritoneal mesothelioma will remain the basic treatment method for another while, until researchers develop an effective way of curing the disease. They say that the monet is not to far away into the future ahead of us.
Don't hesitate to contact asbestosis and mesothelioma centers if your require information regarding surgical procedures performed to peritoneal mesothelioma patients, and the effects it should have receiving information is absolutely free.
