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. The Scientists are in the process of performing a systematic review of the
literature between 1993 - 2004. They 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.
