As mesothelioma patients know all too well, the disease is infamous for its difficulty to diagnose in the early stages of the disease. Indeed, receiving a stage 1 mesothelioma diagnosis is almost always based on luck.
Mesothelioma symptoms are rare at stage one, and it is an established fact that it can take decades for an asbestos exposure to turn into cancerous mesothelioma within the body. As such, mesothelioma is usually discovered at the stage 1 phase when medical professionals use a CT scan or X-ray to search for a different medical issue of the patient.
Even so, this stroke of relative good fortune provides mesothelioma patients with the best prognosis, which is due in no small part to the fact that most treatments for mesothelioma are available to mesothelioma patients.
However, we know that most mesothelioma is diagnosed at stage 3, not stage 1 or 2 of the disease. This reality, in turn, often limits the treatment options available to mesothelioma patients, and tumors may have spread into organs, tissues and lymph nodes around the original mesothelioma cancer site.
The fact that most mesothelioma diagnoses occur at stage 3 helps explain why survival rates for this form of cancer are so low. For example, the two-year survival rate for stage 3 mesothelioma ranges between 26 and 30 percent.
There are reasons for mesothelioma patients and loved ones to be hopeful that earlier diagnoses may soon be possible for future patients, thanks to new research.
New Study Sheds Light on Issue That Has Puzzled Oncologists for Decades
Oncologists have long struggled with how to diagnosis mesothelioma early, thereby enhancing survival rates and treatment options for patients. Research conducted in Sweden may be on the cusp of providing answers.
The Swedish research team’s published findings believe the key to an earlier diagnosis may rest upon better ways of examining the body’s cells under a microscope (cytology). Specifically, by focusing on fluid buildup (effusion) cytology, the researchers noted that a mesothelioma is less complex, can be diagnosed earlier and patient survival rate improved for patients who were diagnosed through pleural effusion.
The researchers note that the improved survival rate may be attributed to the research team’s belief that chemotherapy seems to be more effective when started earlier.
These promising findings provide hope that, one day soon, patients of this deadly disease will receive better treatment that leads to enhanced quality of life and survival rates.
Talk to a Mesothelioma Attorney at The Ledger Law Firm
For the time being, victims of mesothelioma and their loved ones deserve justice when a wrongful exposure to asbestos causes this deadly and aggressive form of cancer.
The Ledger Law Firm has earned a national reputation for helping victims of mesothelioma cancer receive the compensation that is owed to them when a wrongful asbestos exposure has occurred.
Contact us online today for a free case evaluation to discuss your diagnosis and legal claim with a Ledger Law mesothelioma lawyer.
