In an effort to answer the questions arising from having a diagnosis such as mesothelioma, this section provides abstracts and links to the most recent medical literature and mesothelioma information. We are in the process of performing a systematic review of the literature between 1993 - 2004. We have excluded articles that were restricted to animal subjects and were not published in the English language. The criteria used in selecting studies were determined by an internal medicine epidemiologist. We will organize the articles according to their content in the categories described below.
These are articles reviewing the extensive literature on mesothelioma in an attempt to offer the most up-to-date answers on mesothelioma causes and mesothelioma diagnosis as well as the most recent mesothelioma treatment options. While they are an excellent way to start an inquiry, they may not answer more specific questions, pertinent to the individual case.
A number of rare presentations of mesothelioma have been observed. Mesothelioma in children, or mesothelioma affecting sites such as the heart (pericardial mesothelioma), scrotum or the ovaries will be reviewed in case studies in this section. The rare issue of benign mesothelioma is also discussed.
This research attempts to define factors causing mesothelioma, such as most importantly, asbestos. They also analyze other environmental and occupational factors that affect the individual susceptibility for the development of mesothelioma cancer.
These articles may offer a comprehensive review of current diagnostic tools for mesothelioma, or they may analyze specific diagnostic approaches separately. They will also cover topics such as markers for the early mesothelioma stages of the disease or its recurrence following therapy.
This category will be the broadest, including articles describing new alternative mesothelioma treatments, comparing various types of therapies and discussing the outcomes following therapy. The most important aspects of the studies which will be highlighted in the commentary shall be: the type of patients analyzed, the form of therapy used and the outcome pursued by the investigators.
While there is still no cure for mesothelioma, significant strides have been made over the past ten years in the area of mesothelioma research. As a result there are new tests that have been developed to help medical professionals detect the cancer sooner and there is a wide range of new treatment options available that can lead to improved life expectancy for mesothelioma victims. Patients who are diagnosed with early-stage disease may survive many years if the cancer is treated early with surgery, chemotherapy, and managed radiation therapy. Many patients have also had success through the utilization of alternative therapies in conjunction with conventional cancer treatments.
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