New Mesothelioma Treatment Introduced

Mesothelioma — a type of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos — is fairly new and difficult to diagnose and treat. Current treatments are surgical removal of affected tissue, chemotherapy and radiation, depending on the stage of the disease.

But a new type of treatment has been introduced to the mix. Photodynamic therapy uses light to kill cancerous cells after a drug is administered intravenously to target and render the cells more sensitive, says a press release put out by PRWeb.

The drug has no affect on normal cells, so no additional harm will be done. After cells have been properly exposed, a special frequency of light laser beams are directed toward the mesothelioma. Although there have been cases of eye irritability and nausea, side effects have been minimal.

For more information, visit the Mesothelioma Help Web site.

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment Costs

By Jason Gluckman

Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that attacks the lining of the abdomen, enveloping many of the organs in the abdomen by a thin membrane of mesothelial cells, known as the peritoneum. It is caused due to exposure to asbestos. This tumor as a long lactation period and is often diagnosed 30-50 years after the exposure. Though currently no treatment is available for curing this disease, a timely diagnosis (depending upon the size of the tumor), may in improve the patients’ quality of life. In some cases of early diagnosis, the treatments can result in extending the life of victim up to five years, in comparison to the normal lifespan of one year for a peritoneal mesothelioma patient. While the current survival rate for peritoneal mesothelioma patients is low, new peritoneal mesothelioma treatments are in development, and some show great promise. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and/or surgery are the most common options available today for the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma.

The cost incurred in overall treatment of this tumor is almost the same as the cost involved in the treatment of other tumors. It is difficult to determine exact figures as there is variability in treatment plans, but cancer treatments can cost many thousands of dollars per month. Overall, cancer treatment, including peritoneal mesothelioma treatment, costs over $40 billion in the US each year. For a typical individual, who already has been victimized by this dreadful disease, the treatment costs can prove to very expensive and unaffordable. If you have been diagnosed and are suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma, it is advisable to consult a peritoneal mesothelioma lawyer, who can guide you as to your legal rights and how you can recover compensation from the party responsible for your exposure to asbestos. An expert lawyer can help you recover compensation for bills, lost wages, and punitive damages, which can go up to millions of dollars.

Mesothelioma Treatment Costs

By Eric Morris

The costs of treating malignant mesothelioma are extremely high
Estimates range from $150,000 to over $ 1 million. The most commonly used anti-cancer drugs used to treat malignant mesothelioma are AlimtaÒ and cisplatin. The combined cost of these drugs for one treatment cycle is approximately $4,100; multiple treatment cycles may be required, and a cure is not assured. In fact, even with aggressive treatment, the median survival of a patient after diagnosis with malignant mesothelioma is between one and two years.

Some mesothelioma treatment costs may be covered by health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid. However, many people may not have health insurance or be eligible for Medicaid or Medicare. Information on sources of financial assistance can be obtained from the social services units of hospitals, the Cancer Information Network and the American Cancer Society.

When occupational exposure to asbestos can be proven, patients with malignant mesothelioma may be able to seek damages from former employers through lawsuits. While there is a current cap of $1.1 million on the total amount that can be awarded to a single individual in a mesothelioma lawsuit, this cap is considered insufficient by some mesothelioma treatment advocates. They say that better diagnostic tests, combined with the availability of more effective treatment, means more people with malignant mesothelioma are diagnosed at a younger age and live longer. Increased survival is associated with increased treatment costs.

Some novel mesothelioma treatment options are being investigated in clinical trials. These include more affordable options such as immunotherapy, or expensive options such as gene therapy. In gene therapy, specific materials injected into the patient attack the genes in cancer cells, ultimately killing them. A single session of gene therapy may cost between $150,000 and $950,000. Clinical trials may cover some costs of treatment. However, certain trials only enroll people who have been recently diagnosed and who have not begun any other type of treatment.