German MesotheliomaTreatment

Two years ago, Debbi Brewer from Plymouth in South West England was told she had mesothelioma. The lethal disease came as a consequence of hugging her father when she was a child. Her father who died from mesothelioma in the same year Debbi's illness was diagnosed, worked at Devonport Dockyard for the Ministry of Defence.

Having seen the suffering of her father, Debbi decided to try out a pioneering treatment in Germany and, since the treatment begun, has seen her cancer go into remission. She had her $7,000 a-time treatment, known as chemoembolisation, at the University Clinic in Frankfurt.

The treatment, which is usually used to fight liver cancer, involves inserting a catheter into the lung to administer drugs directly to the tumor Debbi has been told that her tumor is now less than half its original size and that it will not return.A German clinic recently began offering a new treatment for mesothelioma cancer patients known as chemoembolization. The treatment has been successful in only one patient -- a woman who developed mesothelioma after hugging her father when he returned home from working with asbestos fibers, which is linked to the development of the condition.

According to BBC News reports, following the treatment, the woman's tumor not only reduced by more than half, but her cancer went into remission as well.

The method of chemoembolization uses chemotherapy drugs delivered into the "site of a cancer tumor" and "since the chemotherapy drugs are delivered into the tumor, stronger doses of the drugs may be used," according to research from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. For mesothelioma cancer patients, a catheter into the lungs may potentially be used to deliver the drugs to the cancer site. Because of the success of the treatment, research is continuing, according to news reports.

Developing Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma occurs when mesothelioma of the chest develops. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), "the pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity." Mesothelioma occurs in general when cancer cells metastasize within the mesothelium, which is "a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body," reports the NCI.
Signs and symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include the following, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS):

* pain in the side of the chest

* pain in the lower back

* trouble swallowing

* cough

* fever

* sweating

* fatigue

* weight loss

* hoarseness

* coughing up blood

* swelling in the face, arms

* muscle weakness

* sensory loss

Often symptoms occur within two to three months prior to an initial diagnosis, according to the ACS. The symptoms of early mesothelioma are often unrecognizable as they remain dormant for years and, frequently, decades.

There are several tests that are used to identify and determine whether a victim has mesothelioma and if they have pleural mesothelioma. The ACS reported the following blood tests, fluid and tissue tests, and imaging tests as ways to pinpoint their condition:

* chest x-rays

* computed tomography scan

* positron emission tomography scan

* magnetic resonance imaging scan

* osteopontin protein blood tests

* thoracoscopy

* tissue biopsy

* laparoscopy

* thoracotomy

* laparotomy

* bronchoscopy

* mediastinoscopy

* immunohistochemistry

* DNA microarray analysis

What to Do Following a Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Once a mesothelioma diagnosis has occurred, there are several actions that can be taken to potentially treat the deadly condition. However, treatments are often not successful and the diagnosis of mesothelioma can be difficult to maintain. The NCI sponsors clinical trials, which can assist individuals with their mesothelioma diagnosis by offering potentially new mesothelioma treatments that can be administered and studied.