There are two main treatment options for individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma:
* Standard Treatment: which includes chemotherapy and radiation therapy and is normally cheaper than the specialized types
* Focused Specialized Treatment: normally handled by a mesothelioma specialist which includes surgery
Any well equipped local health care facility will have the necessary equipment needed to perform these procedures, otherwise patients will need not travel to one that offers these services. However, most of the time, the situation is so critical that a mesothelioma specialist is required to administer treatment in order to provide immediate relief for the various symptoms.
Need for Mesothelioma Specialists
Owing to the seriousness of the condition, patients need to get special attention that local hospitals may not be able to provide. Mesothelioma specialists are capable of giving a surgical evaluation as well as suggest internal radiation therapy or other forms of specialized treatment. Some of the various forms of mesothelioma specialists include:
* Oncologists: - are specialists trained in treating cancer patients. There are two types of oncologists. Medical oncologists use chemotherapy while radiation oncologists use in internal or external radiation treatments.
* Pulmonologists: - specialize in treating patients with lung cancer
* Thoracic surgeons: - specialize in chest surgery from their training in removing the mesothelioma growth
* Radiologists: - are specialists who analyze imagings such as X-rays and CAT scans.
Patients require the services of mesothelioma specialist not only for diagnosis and treatment of the disease but also during the recovery period especially if the patient has undergone surgery. In addition, they are well versed with various techniques of post-operative care. They also implement evaluation of the health condition of the patients with emphasis placed on their age, tolerance level and mental health. Surgery done on individuals with good health show a high success rate of recovery, while those with poor health prior to surgery may experience complications, and normally have reduced success rate.
In addition, doctors must administer great care when administrating chemotherapy and radiation treatments as well as any other alternative treatments. These patients require perfect evaluation by the specialists for treatment options such as immunotherapy, gene therapy or clinical trials.
Mesothelioma specialists also offer advice to patients on pre-treatment preparation which is an important part of any medical procedure ranging from surgery to other alternative forms of treatment. They advise patients on the importance of adopting healthier lifestyles which included changes in the diet and medication.
Mesothelioma Specialist in and around the United States
As mesothelioma is considered to be a rare disease, most general physicians are not very familiar with mesothelioma diagnosis, progression and treatment. As a result, individuals diagnosed with the disease travel to far distances to consult with a mesothelioma specialist who can then address the illness in a systematic way. These specialist develop a plan to treat patients based on the developmental stage of the illness. Considering these aspects, it is usually advisable for patients to source a list of mesothelioma specialists in and around their area and analyze their track record prior to deciding on which one to opt for. Below is a list mesothelioma specialists operating within the United States:
* Valerie W Rush (FACS): - is a Thoracic Surgeon working with Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and specializes in treating patients with cancer of the lungs, oesophagus, mediastinum or chest wall. She has also successfully conducted research in the area of lung cancer and mesothelioma as well as clinical trials for mesothelioma.
* Paul H Sugarbaker (MD; FACS; FRCS) Director, Surgical Oncology, Washington Cancer Institute: - specializes in peritoneal mesothelioma with a focus on surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
* Robert N Taub (MD) Professor of Clinical Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York Presbyterian Hospital: - has extensive experience in the field of medical and clinical oncology.
* Mary Louise Keohan (MD), Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York Presbyterian Hospital: - has been treating as well as conducting various studies on patients with mesothelioma.
* Gregory P Kalenkerion (MD), Co-Director of Thoracic Oncology, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center: - has been developing innovative clinical trials on patients with mesothelioma.
* Joseph S. Friedberg (MD) Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital: - is responsible for various surgical and therapeutic clinical trials that have had positive effects on mesothelioma.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
About Dementia, SIDS, Breast Cancer
Dementia is not really a specific disease. It is used to denote a group of symptoms that are cause by disorders of the brain. People with dementia undergo drastic changes in the personalities and cognitive abilities. They may find it difficult even to carry out normal activities like dressing up, eating or brushing their teeth. They may become unable to control their emotions or solve problems. Along with personality changes they may even see things that aren’t there.
Dementia commonly occurs in Alzheimer’s disease. Research shows that dementia is on the rise and the numbers are predicted to go up in future as well.
The best approach to tackle this is by preventative measures. Vascular disease, smoking, high blood pressure and smoking are contributing factors to dementia. These are factors that can be kept under control. Also, staying mentally fit and keeping the mind active either through a regular job or through a hobby could also be a highly useful and effective preventive measure.
SIDS
SIDS or Sudden Infants Death Syndrome denotes the infant suddenly dying in his sleep. The mothers whose babies die of SIDS are seen to have an increased risk of preterm delivery and other complications in later pregnancies. Studies conducted on mothers whose babies died of SIDS revealed that in future the women were more likely to deliver babies who were too small and have an increased chance of preterm delivery as well.
This could explain why some women have SIDS running in the family.
Breast Cancer
The traditional treatment methods of breast cancer painted a grim picture. Complete removal of breasts was often performed which led to severe physical and emotional trauma in patients. But now, the entire breast need not be removed, thanks to a procedure called lumpectomy where only the tumor is removed along with a small amount of surrounding tissue. The rest of the breast is saved and radiation therapy to the remaining breast tissue drastically improves the chances of long term survival. Though US guidelines insist on radiation on the remaining breast tissue after conserving therapy, this is not always done because of the side effects and because so far there has not been any solid evidence that radiation is beneficial.
This is good news indeed for breast cancer patients, they may no longer need to undergo the psychological trauma of having to live with having one or both of the breasts removed.
Dementia commonly occurs in Alzheimer’s disease. Research shows that dementia is on the rise and the numbers are predicted to go up in future as well.
The best approach to tackle this is by preventative measures. Vascular disease, smoking, high blood pressure and smoking are contributing factors to dementia. These are factors that can be kept under control. Also, staying mentally fit and keeping the mind active either through a regular job or through a hobby could also be a highly useful and effective preventive measure.
SIDS
SIDS or Sudden Infants Death Syndrome denotes the infant suddenly dying in his sleep. The mothers whose babies die of SIDS are seen to have an increased risk of preterm delivery and other complications in later pregnancies. Studies conducted on mothers whose babies died of SIDS revealed that in future the women were more likely to deliver babies who were too small and have an increased chance of preterm delivery as well.
This could explain why some women have SIDS running in the family.
Breast Cancer
The traditional treatment methods of breast cancer painted a grim picture. Complete removal of breasts was often performed which led to severe physical and emotional trauma in patients. But now, the entire breast need not be removed, thanks to a procedure called lumpectomy where only the tumor is removed along with a small amount of surrounding tissue. The rest of the breast is saved and radiation therapy to the remaining breast tissue drastically improves the chances of long term survival. Though US guidelines insist on radiation on the remaining breast tissue after conserving therapy, this is not always done because of the side effects and because so far there has not been any solid evidence that radiation is beneficial.
This is good news indeed for breast cancer patients, they may no longer need to undergo the psychological trauma of having to live with having one or both of the breasts removed.
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