Hope for victims of Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is as grave a situation as any imaginable, for diagnosis usually precedes a long and painful death. New technology for treating mesothelioma provides the most hope for the victims of this condition, but due to the skyrocketing cost of medical care in America, most of these advanced treatments are out of reach for all but the wealthiest of people. Nevertheless, treatments like angiogenesis, gene therapy, and photodynamic therapy provide the most hope for victims of mesothelioma who have failed to respond to conventional treatments.

Mesothelioma diagnosis is not the end

Hope is crucial for victims of mesothelioma because hope gives strength, and fighting an affliction as insidious and pervasive as mesothelioma requires an incredible amount of strength. Many people draw strength from their families, or in their spiritual convictions, and others take stock of a life of accomplishments and resolve themselves to persevere in their struggle. As long as those unfortunate victims still have hope, then their struggle against mesothelioma is never in vain.

New hope for victims of mesothelioma comes from treatment derived from the most unlikely places.

• Celebrex, a COX-2 inhibitor has been shown to halt the growth of mesothelioma cells in a Petri dish in a recent study conducted by Dr. Alfonso Catalano at the University of Marche in Italy. Lab animals also showed significant improvement, as the survival rate of with mice with mesothelioma improved from 45 days to 62 days, and in a few cases over 120 days. It is now believed that human tests are in the immediate future, as malignant mesothelioma remains one of the deadliest and hardest to treat cancers.

Never give up your most precious asset: hope

Even the best medical treatments are worthless if the patient does not commit to surviving through the pain and adversity of the procedures. It is true that mesothelioma treatment can involve unpleasant surgery, radiation, and chemotherapies, but when hope is lost, everything is. The belief that mesothelioma, like an obstacle, can be surmounted and conquered is sometimes more effective than the latest medical breakthrough, and such fortitude in the face of adversity often inspires those around you, even if they are not afflicted with such a condition.