When we mention cancer particularly malignant mesothelioma many questions needs fast answers…these are short answers for big questions before dealing with pain related to this abrasive disease;
Is there a cure for mesothelioma?
While there is not yet an absolute cure for mesothelioma, many patients have had success in managing their cancer with traditional treatments due to researches which was and still moving in a hopeful direction toward finding a cure. Some patients diagnosed with mesothelioma because of the treatments to better management, they have lived longer after what was an initially unfavorable prognosis and enjoy healthier lives, providing reasons for hope where once there were none.
What Type Of Cancer Is Mesothelioma?
Mesothelioma is a rare form of malignant cancer very aggressive that develops in certain organs from cells of the mesothelium. The mesothelium is a protective lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body, each type of cancer is named for the area of the body where the cancer forms. The most common type of mesothelioma is that develops in the lining of the lungs named pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is most commonly caused by exposure to asbestos and the most serious of all asbestos-related diseases.

What is malignant mesothelioma?
Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer that starts in certain protective cells linings certain organs of the body, especially the chest cavity (the lung and heart) or abdominal cavity. A layer of specialized protective cells called mesothelium cells.
What is asbestos cancer?
Asbestos cancer mostly referred to mesothelioma, caused by inhalation or ingestion of large amounts of toxic asbestos fibers for a long period of time. Besides Malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer, asbestos exposure can lead to other asbestos-related diseases which are serious and potentially fatal.
How do you treat mesothelioma?
Nearly all treatment is aimed at controlling the disease but that mainly depend on the extent stage of mesothelioma to determine which treatment options are available. Keeping symptoms under control using chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery are ways to make the mesothelioma patient survive longer.
Mesothelioma as mentioned is an abrasive malignant disease because it has a long latency period over 20 years after the initial exposure which by the time the disease is discovered it already causes difficulties…being diagnosed with this rare cancer is very hard. Being diagnosed with this rare cancer is very hard because it attracts very vital body organs such as the heart and the lungs. The hard of managing the cancer also comes after its diagnoses. Although treating mesothelioma cancer is not a curative procedure, it is a must to reduce patient’s pain and have a longer survival rate. This treatment consist of many different therapies, surgical, chemical and radiological or combination between two kinds or more, depending on many factors all aimed at reducing the effect of the disease in all the affected body parts. There are many treatments available to maintain patient’s quality of life during treatment although all of them need good pain management that can reduce stress and improve mood as there is a lot of pain that come with mesothelioma.
Benefits of Palliative Treatments;
Well done pain management and keeping symptoms under control is an important part while having the battle with mesothelioma. There are two reasons to control pain and to find the right kind of pain management;
Firstly – Maintaining Quality of Life;
Mesothelioma cancer pain may be even more debilitating than the cancer itself thus living with mesothelioma-related pain can reduce the patient’s pre-diagnosis quality of life. Getting help coping with pain and symptoms can retain a sense of normalcy and making life less stressful both physically and emotionally in the face of the disease as a result can accelerate the overall health, vitality and potentially, healing process.
Secondly – Potential to Increase Survival;
Palliative treatments to manage pain and other symptom-related discomfort make the treatment bearable and may increase survival times
What Causes Pain and Symptoms?
The pain comes largely from the cancer cells itself or by treatments recommended for the control of the disease (chemotherapy, radiation treatment), or atrophying muscles from inactivity. However, with every patient with mesothelioma, the type of pain experienced, the level of pain and pain tolerance varies as with their experience and with the type of mesothelioma they have been diagnosed with.
There are different types of pain from malignant mesothelioma pain may result from;
First, cancer pain may result from the cancer itself. As the cancer spreads and grows, its cells divide causing pressure to the nearby organs and structures, it can cause considerable pain in the area. So far as pleural mesothelioma, the most common type of mesothelioma is concerned, the scar formed from asbestos fibers causes pain coming from the pressure on the lungs coming from the pleura lining. Another cause; when the tumors infiltrate to the intercostal nerves (nerves run between the ribs) causing a painful syndrome known as neuropathic pain syndrome. Pericardial mesothelioma pain results from the increased pressure the scar cancer cells on the protective sac surrounding the heart. With peritoneal mesothelioma, pain results from the cancer spread to the lining around the abdomen result in diffuse radiating pain throughout the abdominal area.
Second, pain can result from the prescribed treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation. Some patients who undergo surgery, either a pleurectomy or an extrapleural pneumonectomy monitoring the developed pain is critical to recovery as pain can develop post-operative localized to the region , the pain is often described as an aching or burning. Generally medication may be prescribed to alleviate surgical pain. With chemotherapy, patient might develop a peripheral neuropathy, the experienced pain may be dull, intermittent or severe. The durance and type of pain depending on the dose, treatment, type of mesothelioma.
Third, pain may result from inactivity due to general health. With malignant mesothelioma or other advanced cancers, the body gets week enough that the individuals may be unable to move well. This inactivity can result in body aches and muscle pain.
With cancer pain, patients can get pain from several different sources, it is imperative to assess what may cause the pain, whether the pain is acute, chronic or intermittent and to assess pain needs to be thorough and extensive and what may ease the pain. Chronic unrelieved cancer pain can affect moods, emotions and ultimately may affect patient recovery. These common effects of chronic malignant cancer pain resulting that the patients may want to end their lives.
There are three different levels of pain a person might experience; from mesothelioma…Chronic, acute and breakthrough pains that come at different times from person to person;
Chronic pains this type of pain has no end, it rise and ease off but it is constantly there… it last over a long space of time. Medication and pain killers are prescribed by administrative professionals.
Acute pains this type of pain has an end, last only a short bit of time but is very intense.
However some breathing techniques and relaxation methods can help.
Breakthrough pains this type of pain has an end as it come through taking medications for other pain treatments, best handled through medication prescribed by administrative professionals. Mesothelioma pain is an unpleasant aspect of life that the patient has to live with more than most but by attending the right therapy indicated by professionals to deal with all the feeling and emotions that come with pain would be a better choice.