The difficulty of getting an early diagnosis of the disease, combined with the fact that the heart is such a sensitive and important organ, makes it difficult to treat pericardial mesotheliomas. There are currently three treatment options that patients may consider.
Perikardiektomie
Pericardiectomy means that the doctor removes both part of the pericardium of the heart and all tumors. Although pericardiectomy may be a very successful form of treatment, it only works if the patient is in the early stages of cancer. Since early diagnosis is rare, it is not a good treatment option for the average patient.
Chemotherapy
The most common form of treatment for patients with pericardial mesothelioma is chemotherapy. There are several options for chemo and several do different things to extend the life of the patient. This type of treatment produces the most positive results when used in combination with radiation.
The chemotherapy gemcitabine has been shown to be particularly effective in treating this rare form of mesothelioma cancer.
One of the few effective chemotherapy treatments for patients with pericardial mesothelioma is gemcitabine. Gemcitabine can shrink tumors and delay the progression of mesothelioma. More research is being done into more treatment options for this rare type of mesothelioma.
Radiotherapy
Doctors like to use radiation because it is the least invasive method of controlling and treating pericardial mesothelioma. Many cases of palliative radiation have been used, but also curative. The purpose of radiation is to reduce the size of the tumor and prevent it from entering the sensitive heart muscle.
Prognosis
The prognosis for patients with pericardial mesothelioma is not rosy compared to the long-term prognosis for pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma. Not only is it difficult to diagnose the disease before it is too advanced to be treated. The extreme rarity of cancer makes it difficult to carry out the research needed to develop newer, more effective treatments.
The good news is that some patients have enjoyed a good life even after their diagnosis. One patient survived five years after surgery. The Johns Hopkins Hospital is conducting research indicating that patients who undergo pericardiectomy after their diagnosis have a lower mortality rate.
Patients diagnosed with pericardial mesothelioma should seriously consider participating in clinical trials of treatment options that are currently available through traditional medical programs.
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