A cancer diagnosis is always frightening, but for those who are diagnosed with mesothelioma, the diagnosis is even more alarming because of the short life expectancy associated with the disease. While it’s true that some new therapies have resulted in slight improvements in prognosis, mesothelioma remains one of the most lethal forms of cancer, with few real strides being made within the last several decades of research.
Mesothelioma
Asbestos Woes at Kanawha River Power Plant
Coal has always been a huge commodity in West Virginia and, as such, coal-fired power plants have been abundant in the region. One of those plants is the Kanawha River Power Plant, located near the town of Glasgow and just recently shuttered after more than 60 years of operation.
U.S. Steel Mesothelioma Lawsuits Common Throughout the Country
In Pittsburgh, U.S. Steel was once a big deal. Founded in 1901 when three different steel companies merged, it was the first billion dollar corporation in the U.S. and it made lots of money for its owners and executives. Thousands upon thousands of individuals throughout the United States and in Canada and Central Europe have been employed by U.S. Steel (formerly USX) and the company’s massive tower still dominates Pittsburgh’s skyline, housing just a fraction of the employees that once made up the city’s U.S. Steel workforce.
Former Appalachian Electric Power Company Workers Get Mesothelioma
Most of us don’t think twice about who to thank when our light switches power up our favorite lamps or when we feel warm in the winter or cool in summers. Though we pay our utility bill each month and sometimes cringe at the amount on the “due” line, we rarely consider just what it takes to make life so convenient for the average American.
Asbestos Use Sparks Rise in Ohio Mesothelioma Cases
Working at a power company has its risks. That’s obvious. When one considers a job at a power plant, the first thing that comes to mind as far as safety is concerned is the chance for accidents that might involve fires, burns, or even electrocution.
South Charleston West Virginia Mesothelioma
When the first petrochemical plant came to West Virginia in 1920, the locals found themselves on the cutting edge of this newfangled industry. Union Carbide had chosen Clendenin, West Virginia for this honor…and the people rejoiced.
Five years later, when the plant’s needs grew so large that they had to relocate, operations moved to South Charleston’s Blaine Island area adjacent to the Kanawha River, seemingly the ideal spot for a petrochemical company to do its thing and continue to expand.
Mesothelioma Among Senior Citizens
A cancer diagnosis is a blow at any age. For senior citizens, however, dealing with cancer is especially hard, particularly for those individuals who might be facing the multiple medical concerns that come with aging, including a host of other diseases and disorders.
Mesothelioma cancer, quite frequently, is diagnosed among those who would fall into the category of “senior” adults. This is because the disease possesses what is referred to as a long latency period; the time that passes between exposure to the mineral and the development of the disease can be quite lengthy, often as long as 50 years.
75% Of Mesothelioma Among Senior Citizens
That means many of the disease’s victims have progressed into their later years by the time the cancer is discovered. The American Cancer Society notes that the average age of diagnosis in 69 and estimates say about 75 percent of all cases are among senior adults. A large number of these individuals were probably exposed during service to the military while others were sickened due to occupational exposure. Many probably don’t even recall working with the material.
Nonetheless, mesothelioma is a difficult cancer to battle at any age and a diagnosis of this disease means a tough road ahead for the senior and his family members and friends.
The Day-to-Day Trials of the Disease
Seniors with mesothelioma, by the time they are diagnosed, have probably already begun to slow down and are most likely having a tough time with day-to-day responsibilities.
If the victim is working, he may need to cease employment. Because meso causes breathing problems and other symptoms that can be quite debilitating, even simple tasks begin to present a challenge, including shopping, cleaning, and maybe even taking a walk with friends. For seniors who’ve always been quite active, this change may cause a great deal of depression and anxiousness.
At this point, it is usually necessary for family members to play a more active role in the life of the mesothelioma patient. Sometimes family members choose to move in with their loved one or have their loved one move in with them. When that’s not possible, it’s often necessary to hire in-home help or assistance with things like getting to doctor’s appointments or treatments.
When the disease has progressed to end-stage and it’s difficult for the patient’s family to offer proper care on their own, the family members – along with the patient – will need to talk about hospice and other end-of-life issues. Usually, however, it’s a good idea to address these issues ahead of time so that it’s not necessary to make spur-of-the-moment decisions about care.
Financial Issues Associated with Mesothelioma
From diagnosis to treatment, mesothelioma is an extremely expensive disease. Medical bills pile up rapidly and can be overwhelming. Some seniors are fortunate enough to have retained good medical insurance – sometimes from a past employer – that will cover most of the costs of cancer treatment. However, others will need to turn to Medicare or Medicaid (which won’t cover everything) and may find themselves short when it comes to compiling funds to pay their astronomical medical bills.
Again, family members may need to enter the picture here and help with the bills. However, if that’s not possible, caregivers may need to spend time searching for resources that can help cover the cost of care. In many cases, victims and their families have chosen to file suit against those responsible for the asbestos exposure, hoping to gain compensation that will help pay for those exorbitant medical bills and make up for loss of income. This is a viable option, in many cases, and should be carefully considered.
Mesothelioma Pain Clinic – What Can You Expect?
Cancer can be a painful disease. Oncologists report that most of their patients identify some degree of cancer-related pain while dealing with the disease and its treatments. Unfortunately, for mesothelioma patients, pain is often a major symptom and one that elicits the most fear in a newly-diagnosed patient.
The amount and severity of pain related to any kind of cancer varies, of course, with each individual case. Some mesothelioma patients will report that they have a constant, gnawing pain, often in their chest or somewhere else close to the root of their cancer. It may not be severe, but it’s always there, causing a good deal of discomfort and interfering with everyday activities.
Others, unfortunately, deal with much more severe pain, especially as their disease progresses. This is debilitating pain that confines the patient to bed and prompts the need for immediate intervention.
Both kinds of pain can be treated and there’s no reason that cancer patients need to live with this symptom throughout their struggle with their disease. That’s why most hospitals – and certainly all of the country’s best cancer centers – offer pain clinics to address the varying needs of their patients.
Locating Pain Management Services
A good oncologist will warn you about pain at the onset of your diagnosis. He or she doesn’t do that to frighten the patient but rather to make them aware that there may be a need to address the pain with more than a few doses of ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
It’s good to have information on pain management in place even before the need arises. On the other hand, some patients might be already dealing with pain at time of diagnosis, so for that patient, pain management info is essential.
As mentioned, many hospitals or cancer centers have their own pain clinic. If so, that will most likely be the first one recommended by the oncologist or other member of the patient’s medical team. There are also plenty of doctors who are not associated with a particular hospital that specialize in pain management. There may be one of these private practices near your home.
Regardless of the location, you’ll want to locate someone who is an EXPERT in pain management, not just a general practitioner who offers to help you control your pain. You’ll find that some of these experts specialize in treating cancer patients but most work with a wide variety of patients, including those with chronic diseases like arthritis.
What to Expect From A Mesothelioma Pain Clinic
Each patient will begin with a thorough evaluation of their cancer and the symptoms caused by both their disease and its treatment, such as chemotherapy and radiation. At that point, a regimen for pain relief will be devised and the patient will need to come back for a second appointment to get the ball rolling.
Pain management specialists usually offer a variety of different strategies for addressing pain. Often, prescription strength pain relievers are involved but other options such as nerve blocks might be suggested. In many cases – and certainly more often than in the past – these specialists suggest non-pharmacologic options for pain relief.
These are often referred to as “alternative” treatments and might include massage, chiropractic, acupuncture, and other such options. Many patients swear by these complementary treatments and note that they prefer them to taking even more medication.
It’s often a good idea for caregivers to be educated as to the pain relief methods recommended for their loved one or the person in their care as this responsibility may eventually fall into their lap.
Also, patients shouldn’t hesitate to contact their pain management specialist if the regimen offered to them is simply not working. There are many options available and some may work better than others for particular mesothelioma patients.
Mesothelioma Precursors
While it’s true that not everyone who is exposed to asbestos gets sick, what’s also true is that not everyone who is sickened by asbestos exposure gets mesothelioma…at least not immediately. But many asbestos related health issues are mesothelioma precursors.
The results of years of asbestos exposure manifest in a variety of different ways. For some individuals, little warning is given before the mesothelioma diagnosis becomes a reality. For others, the ailments we describe below may be what appears first.
Some may not lead to cancer. Others may. But all clearly indicate the dangers of exposure to asbestos and asbestos-containing materials and are potential mesothelioma precursors.
Pleural Plaques
The Centers for Disease Control note that some 50 percent of all individuals who are/were regularly exposed to asbestos develop scarring on their lungs. In medical terms, the scars are referred to as pleural plaques. Pleural plaques usually don’t present any specific symptoms and many who suffer from them are totally unaware that the scars are present.
Often, they’re discovered during x-rays for something totally unrelated or may be found during the scans that many asbestos-exposed individuals receive annually.
Pleural plaques do not indicate the presence of cancer but they certainly prove that asbestos exposure can affect one’s health. Usually, when doctors spot these plaques, they will order further testing just to be sure that no cancer cells are present.
Pleural Effusion
Pleural effusion is the build-up of fluid that occurs between the visceral and parietal layers of the pleura, which is the lining of the lungs. Effusion can cause much physical discomfort and can make it quite difficult to breathe.
To relieve this problem, a doctor may choose to drain the area but without a surgical procedure known as pleurodesis, the fluid may return. The doctor will also want to test the fluid for the presence of cancer cells.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is very common among individuals who have been exposed to asbestos on a regular basis. Similar to mesothelioma, it often takes a few decades for the symptoms of asbestosis to appear. These symptoms are similar to those of asbestos-caused cancer and include:
1. Shortness of breath (mostly while active but, in the later stages, even while resting)
2. Chest pain
3. Low tolerance for physical activity
4. Cough that produces phlegm
5. Clubbing of the fingers (in severe cases)
Many individuals mistaken the early symptoms of asbestosis for another more common ailment, such as a cold, bronchitis, or pneumonia. Symptoms of this disease, however, tend to develop over a long period of time and don’t “go away”, as would be the case with cold symptoms.
Asbestosis isn’t necessarily an indication that the victim will eventually develop mesothelioma, but that possibility is indeed present. However, the asbestosis patients who are most likely to eventually be diagnosed with asbestos cancer are those who smoke and continue to do so, despite their diagnosis. Smokers are encouraged to stop smoking IMMEDIATELY upon diagnosis or if they suspect they have asbestosis.
Asbestos-exposed individuals who believe they may have any of these asbestos-related diseases need to schedule an immediate check-up with their doctor or specialist. Those already diagnosed with any of the above ailments should maintain a regular schedule of medical examinations, x-rays, and pulmonary function tests so as to keep an eye out for the presence of mesothelioma in the future.
Interferon Alpha – Mesothelioma Maintenance Treatment
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium, the thin tissue that covers the lungs, heart, and other internal organs. Nearly all cases of this fatal disease are caused by exposure to asbestos. Often, the cancer takes decades to appear and, when it does, it has already reached Stage 3 or 4, making it especially difficult to treat.
Therefore, most victims of mesothelioma face a grim prognosis. Most typically survive 12 to 18 months from the time of diagnosis. Treatments, both conventional and experimental, may extend the life of mesothelioma patients, but there is no cure at this time.
Common Treatment Options
The following are the most common treatment options for pleural mesothelioma, cancer of the lining of the lung:
• Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) – The most aggressive type of mesothelioma surgery, EPP involves the removal of the lung along with its coverings and the associated coverings of the heart and diaphragm. It is followed by chemotherapy and radiation. It is reserved only for the healthiest of patients and involves much risk and a very long recovery period.
• Pleurectomy/decortication – This is surgery to remove the lining of the lung and, hence, the cancer cells found in the lining. In this type of procedure, the lung itself is preserved. Pleurectomy is usually followed by chemotherapy. This surgery is an option for patients whose limited heart and lung function prevent them from undergoing EPP.
• Chemotherapy/Radiation – Patients who are not candidates for any type of surgery may benefit from chemotherapy and radiation to shrink the tumor. These treatments are often used for “palliative” purposes as well, helping to lessen some of the very uncomfortable symptoms of the disease.
Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are also used to treat peritoneal (abdominal) mesothelioma, and pericardial (heart) mesothelioma.
Maintenance Therapy
During the late years of the 20th century, researchers and oncologists spent time and dollars researching the effects of Interferon Alpha on malignant mesothelioma tumors. Often, the Interferon was combined with cisplatin in the clinical trials made available to those with pleural mesothelioma. (Cisplatin is a common platinum-based chemo drug still used in the treatment of the disease, but now often combined with Alimta©, the only drug specifically approved by the FDA for the treatment of the disease.)
Author DeeDee Moore notes in her book, Dealing with Mesothelioma Cancer, that these interferon trials did indeed extend the lives of some meso patients.
“Treatment regimens involving immunotherapy have yielded variable results,” she explained. “Nonetheless, other trials involving interferon alpha have proved more encouraging with 20% of patients experiencing a greater than 50% reduction in tumor mass combined with minimal side effects.”
More recently, however, Interferon Alpha has taken on the role of a maintenance drug. At a conference for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons in 2006, Dr. Robert Cameron – a leading expert on the treatment of mesothelioma – presented proof that Interferon Alpha as “maintenance therapy” showed promise. Cameron noted that the median survival of patients receiving interferon alpha after undergoing pleurectomy with decortication followed by surgery was 37 months. Therefore, Cameron and his colleagues at UCLA concluded that interferon alpha, as a maintenance therapy, does indeed have a survival benefit.
Continuing Research
Malignant mesothelioma remains one of the most frustrating forms of cancer for researchers and for oncologists who face victims of the disease each day. It is highly recognized that none of the current treatments will provide a cure for the disease but it is the hope of researchers that continued research and more clinical trials will be integral in the discovery of drugs or therapies that will prolong the lives of sufferers of asbestos-caused cancer. Only time will tell.