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The treatment an individual can receive for his or her mesothelioma depends on a few factors. These factors include the type of mesothelioma he or she is facing and the stage to which the disease has progressed. Other factors, like the individual’s overall physical health and lifestyle habits such as alcohol and tobacco use, can also make it more difficult for the individual to receive certain types of treatment. Treatment methods for mesothelioma include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, each of which has specific limitations for patients.
Generally, the patient’s age is considered when determining whether to perform surgery. This is because even the most routine surgeries can cause a significant amount of stress on the body. However, a recent study presented at the European Lung Cancer Conference in Geneva showed that surgery is no more dangerous for mesothelioma patients over the age of 70 than it is for younger patients. Specifically, the study discussed a surgical procedure known as pleurectomy/decortication (p/d) in patients suffering from pleural mesothelioma.
According to the study discussed above, other factors, such as the patient’s tolerance level for adjuvant chemotherapy and the development stage of their disease, played a larger role in determining the patient’s survival rate. Approximately 28 percent of the patients who participated in the study were 70 years old or older.
Not all surgeries performed on mesothelioma patients are curative, which are meant to remove the tumor and increase the patient’s life expectancy. Sometimes, surgery is performed simply to diagnose the patient by removing a piece of the tumor and sending it for a biopsy. In other cases, surgery is performed as a palliative measure, which means that it is done to make the patient more comfortable by minimizing his or her pain or symptoms.
Mesothelioma treatment can be expensive. If you are suffering because of prolonged exposure to asbestos in the workplace or another location due to another party’s negligence, you can potentially recover compensation for your damages via an asbestos exposure claim. Fill out our online form or call our Philadelphia offices at 215-569-4000 or toll-free at 800-369-0899 to schedule your initial legal consultation with our team of New Jersey mesothelioma lawyers. At Brookman, Rosenberg, Brown & Sandler we proudly represent clients from Delaware County, Philadelphia County, Chester County, and New Jersey.