Mesothelioma Remission

Mesothelioma Remission

Scientists and researchers are still looking for a cure for mesothelioma, a rare disease that attacks the body’s organs and typically results from asbestos exposure. In the meantime, with the right treatment, mesothelioma patients may be able to control the disease and bring it into remission.

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Remission Defined

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), remission is defined as absence of signs and symptoms of cancer in people who’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma or any other type of cancer. There are two remission types for cancer: complete remission and partial remission. Complete remission means that all signs of cancer have disappeared, whereas partial remissions means that some of the cancer signs and symptoms (at least 50%) have disappeared.

Per the American Cancer Society (ACS), cancerous tumors that shrink must stay that way for at least one month in order for the patient to be determined to be complete or partial remission. Currently, there isn’t a tested way to determine exactly how long remission will last (see “How to Avoid Relapse” below).

Treatment That Helps Lead to Remission

There are currently a variety of treatment options that can help lead mesothelioma patients to remission. Clinical trials that offer unique medication, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery are among the many treatments offered for mesothelioma.

Surgery

Surgery seems to hold the most promising results for remission. During surgery, for those who qualify, the tumors are removed as much as possible. Age, stage of the disease, and overall general health are assessed before physicians can determine which patient qualifies for surgery.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation by itself isn’t too powerful when helping mesothelioma patients go into remission. However, combined with chemotherapy or surgery (known as multimodal therapy), patients have a better chance of remission.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is extremely strong when fighting against mesothelioma, but similar to radiation therapy, a combination of treatment methods is typically the best way for remission. With advancement in medical care, the good news is that there are number of powerful chemotherapy medications available today that wasn’t available in the past for cancer patients.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are a way for scientists to test out new treatment methods for mesothelioma as well as a way for mesothelioma patients to discover powerful treatments that can help them get their disease under control and possibly into remission. Although there are no guarantees that clinical trials will work successfully, there is a chance that an effective treatment will be found that can help mesothelioma patients tremendously.

Some people may be hesitant to participate in clinical trials since the medications and treatment options aren’t available to the public. It’s important to keep in mind, however, that every treatment for every type of disease was once in its novel stages before being released to the public.

How to Avoid Relapse

Unfortunately, all mesothelioma patients run the risk of relapsing after remission, meaning that the cancer returns. For the best possible chances of avoiding remission, it’s imperative to keep all medical appointments and treat mesothelioma as an ongoing illness. Although mesothelioma can go into remission, it’s never completely cured.

Furthermore, as soon as you notice any symptoms resurfacing, no matter how minor they may seem, contact your physician immediately.