Q: Which doctor should I consult if I have symptoms suggestive of mesothelioma?
A: You should first visit a general practitioner who will refer you to a specialist such as a chest specialist or an oncologist.
Q: Can mesothelioma ever be cured?
A: There are several treatment options at stage I and these patients are likely to live longer than late-stage patients. The problem is that the disease often gets detected in the later stages and so doctors don't get a chance to treat a patient in an early stage of the disease.
Q: How long do you live after being diagnosed with mesothelioma?
A: The average life expectancy of a mesothelioma patient ranges from 12 to 21 months, depending on the cancer's stage and treatment outcome. About 40% of mesothelioma patients survive one year, and 20% live more than two years. The survival rate depends on many factors, including age, cancer stage, cancer type, race and gender
Q: Can peritoneal mesothelioma be cured?
A: Surgery is the most hopeful treatment option for peritoneal mesothelioma in the abdomen, but it is only effective for early-stage cancer. Surgery can be performed to remove as much of the tumor as possible in hopes of curing the cancer.
Q: What are the side effects of chemotherapy?
A: Side effects of chemotherapy are weakened immunity, nausea, hair loss, fatigue and bruising.
Q: What is the “latency period?”
A: The latency period means how much time a disease takes to develop and show the symptoms. Mesothelioma has a very long latency period of 20 to 50 years before symptoms develop.
