Mesothelioma Lawyers

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General Information

Prognosis in this disease is

difficult to assess consistently because
there is gre

at variability in the time before diagnosis and the rate

of disease
progression. Various surgical procedures ma

y be possible in selected patients,
providing long-term

survival without cure. In large retrospective series of

pleural mesothelioma patients, important prognostic factors were found to be

stage, age, performance status, and histology.

For patients treated with aggressive

surgi

cal approaches, factors associated with improved long-term

survival include epithelial histology, negative lymph

nodes, and negative

surgical margins. For those patients

treated with aggressive surgical approaches,

nodal stat

us is an important prognostic factor. Median survival for

malignant

local pleural disease has been reported as 16

months

and extensive disease as 5 months. In some inst

ances the tumor grows through the

diaphragm making the s

ite of origin difficult to assess.

Cautious interpretat

ion of treatment results in this disease is imperative because of

the selection differences among series. Effusions, both pleural and

peritoneal, represent major sympt

omatic problems for at least two thirds of the

patients.

A history of asbestos exposure is reported in about 70

% to 80% of

all cases of mesothelioma.

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