Treatment and Exercise May Benefit Those Suffering from Mesothelioma

Treatment and Exercise May Benefit Those Suffering from Mesothelioma

Almost 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the United States. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer linked to exposure to asbestos. Asbestos fibers inhaled or ingested attach to the lining of the lungs and abdomen. They inflame the organs and cause tumors, which develop into cancers. Since mesothelioma often does not show any noticeable symptoms until it is at an advanced stage, patients that have contracted it have a high mortality rate. Still, some treatment methods and exercises have proven beneficial for patients.

Types of Treatment for Mesothelioma

Surgery

• Pleurectomy involves the removal of the cancerous lining around the lung.
• Extrapleural pneumonectomy involves the removal of the lining of the lung, the entire lung, a portion of the diaphragm, or a portion of the lining around the heart.
• Omenectomy involves the removal of the lining around the abdominal organs.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-ray particles to destroy cancer cells.

Systemic Therapy

Systemic therapy is the use of medication delivered through the bloodstream to destroy cancer cells throughout the body. There are three types of systemic therapy.

1. Chemotherapy works by keeping the cancer cells from growing, dividing, and making more cells.
2. Targeted Therapy targets specific genes, proteins, or the tissue environment and blocks the spread of cancer cells while limiting damage to healthy cells.
3. Immunotherapy boosts the body’s natural defenses to fight cancer.

Exercise Benefits for those living with mesothelioma

1. You can improve your appetite and nutrition, by increasing your physical activity.
2. Suffering with mesothelioma puts a lot of stress on anyone. Exercise can help you relax and take your mind off your diagnosis.
3. In some cases, cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, can change how you look and feel. It can affect your self-esteem. An exercise plan can improve your body image.
4. When going through cancer treatments, mobility and motor functions may be diminished. Physical activity can improve these.
5. Feeling tired and fatigued is typical of having cancer and chemotherapy. People can usually regain some of their normal energy levels with exercise.

• Start small and build up gradually. Take a short walk and add more steps or time each day.
• Do what works for you and let your body guide you. If an exercise makes you feel sick or tires you out too quickly, try a different exercise.
• Rest when you need to. Don’t over-do it. Even a small amount of exercise benefits your body.
• Get a regular exercise routine going. The more often you do something, the more it becomes a habit and allows you to reap the benefits.

Your financial resources will likely not be enough to cover all of the medical, rehabilitative, and living costs you will incur if you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Looking for a mesothelioma lawyer? Contact an attorney at Goldberg, Persky & White, P.C. right now to discuss your mesothelioma or asbestos-related legal claim.

Sources

1. “Cancer Facts & Figures 2020” American Cancer Society, (January 2020). [Link]

2. Hedy L. Kindler, et. al. “Mesothelioma: Types of Treatment” American Society for Clinical Oncology (January 18, 2018).[Link]