Gene Test Predicts Mesothelioma Survival

According to the May 6th Journal of the National Cancer institute, a 4-gene expression ratio test accurately predicts survival in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

The study performed by researchers from the Brigham and Women's Hospital, involved 120 patients undergoing surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Multiple samples were gathered either during surgery or through pleural biopsy. Researchers evaluated the test on multiple tumor samples from each patient and used two different gene samples and two different biopsy techniques.

The results were adjusted for other clinical factors and coupled with other mesothelioma prognosis information and patients were categorized into two groups. Patients assigned by the test to the good outcome group had significantly better median overall survival, 31.9 months, compared to the poor outcome group, 6.9 months.

It is hoped that this test will help doctors better determine a prognosis for patients. Patients who have a shorter life-expectancy can be counseled away from surgeries that would not benefit them or their families and allow them time seek hospice or other supportive care. For patients with a higher expectancy, doctors could help them to arrange for more long term treatments and surgeries.

Additional information about mesothelioma research and ongoing studies may be found at Mesothelioma Help.net.

Bishop Loses Battle with Mesothelioma

The Bishop of Peterborough, Rt Revd Ian Cundy, died on May 7th, 2009 after a two-year battle with mesothelioma.

Bishop Cundy, 64, had recently announced his plans to take an early retirement in July after his chemotherapy treatments had failed to stop the spread of the cancer. No cure for mesothelioma currently exists, but it has been proven that some multimodal treatments that combine traditional cancer treatments, such as surgery along with chemotherapy or radiation, can help to reduce the cancer and slow the spread.

Bishop Cundy was well loved and received in the UK, having been appointed in 1996. He is survived by his wife Jo, three children, and a grandson.

Bishop Frank White will assume the duties of diocesan bishop until a new appointment is made. According to Bishop White,"Bishop Ian was greatly loved in the diocese and around the country for his gentle manner, his warm acceptance of people from all walks of life and all denominations of and traditions within the Christian Church, and for his wise and perceptive counsel."

Once again it has been desmonstrated that mesothelioma affects men, women, and children of every walk of life and that the dangers of asbestos exposure apply not only to the blue collar working man as once believed.

Please visit Mesothelioma Help.net for more information on mesothelioma and new treatment options that are becoming available to combat this deadly disease.

Swine Flu and Mesothelioma Patients

With all the buzz in the media about the recent Swine Flu (H1N1) pandemic, it's easy to think that the disease is right around every corner.

While that may not be the case, it is still very important for mesothelioma patients to take precautions and to monitor their health closely. Radiation and chemotherapy that many cancer patients receive can weaken the immune system and make them more susceptible to diseases such as the H1N1 virus.

If you are a mesothelioma patient, like all other cancer patients, one thing that you've learned is survival. You have most likely been told by doctors that the number one step to fighting a disease is prevention and with the H1N1 virus, the rules are no different. While you're undergoing treatments, make sure to avoid large crowds of people and attempt to stay away from anyone with a fever or other flu symptoms. Remember that good hygiene is very important. Washing your hands before eating or touching your mouth, nose, or eyes can help to prevent the spread of the disease. If you have to come in contact with someone who has symptoms, make sure that they take precations such as a respirator or facemask.

For caregivers, if you are experiencing any flu-like symptoms or if you believe you have come in contact with the H1N1 virus, it is best to avoid contact with your patient. If possible, find another trusted caregiver or friend to help you with your role of care. If it is absolutely necessary for you to come in contact with your patient, make sure to use a respirator, not a cheap face mask, as they do not provide the same amount of protection. Also, make sure your hands are sanitized and that you limit the amount of close contact to the minimum amount of time needed to perform your duties.

Symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of regular flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. If you believe that you have been exposed or are showing any of flu-like symptoms, contact your doctor.

Britain's Prime Minister Vows to Tackle Asbestos Crisis

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has stated that he will make great efforts to alleviate Britain's asbestos problem, especially in the plagued school systems. PM Brown is no stranger to the devastating effects of asbestos exposure. In 2008, Brown lost his friend Scottish Member of Parliament John MacDougall to mesothelioma.

Advocates for asbestos removal have stated their praise of the PM's words and many believe that he will take his promise to heart because he has personally experienced the pain of mesothelioma.

It will be a great boon for the mesothelioma community if Brown continues to make pushes for asbestos removal. It could mean more funding for mesothelioma and cancer research in Britain as well as continued global awareness.

For more information on mesothelioma and asbestos exposure, please visit mesotheliomahelp.net.

Eli Lilly to Reveal Study Data on Mesothelioma Drug Treatments Eli Lilly to Reveal Study Data on Mesothelioma Drug Treatments

li Lilly and Company will reveal the data from their latest research findings involving their mesothelioma and cancer treatment drugs, Alimta, Gemzar, and enzastaurin, an investigational drug. These studies are among more than 50 to be unveiled at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Orlando, FL. The results will reveal the effectiveness of these drugs in treating mesothelioma, especially in patients who cannot undergo surgery.

Alimta has been approved the FDA in combination for cisplatin (chemotherapy drug) for the initial treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Gemzar is used along with cisplatin for first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC for whom surgery isn't possible. It is also used to treat patients with pancreatic cancer, metastatic breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.

The studies will be presented at ASCO from May 29th to June 2nd 2009.

New Mesothelioma Treatment Shows Promise

NeoPlas Innovation, a clinical cancer treatment and research firm located in Nashville, Tennessee, has announced that a combination of the cholesterol medicine lovastatin and a low-dose of interferon has shown favorable results in fighting mesothelioma.

The patient was a woman who was exposed to asbestos in childhood. When she was diagnosed with mesothelioma, it had already filled most of the chest space where her right lung had been. According to NeoPlast, two months after starting treatments, a CT scan showed that the cancer had stabilized and the largest of the tumors had regressed significantly in size.

It's still too early to draw full conclusions on the treatment because the testing is still in the early phases with only one patient so far.

NeoPlas is still accepting patients for the combination treatment.

For more breaking news on mesothelioma treatment, general information, and forum discussions, please visit Mesotheliomahelp.net.

sbestos Linked to Larynx and Ovarian Cancers

Exposure to asbestos -- long associated with cancers of the lungs -- has been shown to cause some cancers of the ovary and the larynx as well, Cancer Research UK reports.

An international team of World Health Organization scientists writing in the journal Lancet Oncology said that people who have been exposed to asbestos are 1.4 times more likely to develop cancer of the larynx than those who had never been exposed.

Dr. Alison Ross, Cancer Research UK's senior science information officer said, "We already know asbestos can cause lung cancer and mesothelioma and this adds two more cancer types to the list."

International Symposium on Mesothelioma Draws Near

The annual International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma is now less than a month away. An annual symposium organized by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, a charitable organization, will bring together international experts in asbestos-related cancers. patients and caregivers June 25-27 in Washington, D.C. to discuss the latest advances in mesothelioma research.

For more information on reserving your spot for one of the largest events concerning mesothelioma, its treatment, and the people involved, please visit the MARF website for
more information.

Senator Calls for Help to Clean Up Town of Libby

Montana Sen. Jon Testor asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to team up with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to work together to clean up asbestos contamination in Libby, Montana and make the community safe again. More than 200 residents of Libby have died and thousands more are still suffering from asbestos diseases. Residents were poisoned by asbestos from a now-defunct vermiculite mine, and the entire community of Libby is now an EPA Superfund site.

British Study Reconfirms Asbestos Exposure, Mesothtelioma Link

A long-running British study monitoring mortality among asbestos workers in occupations exposed to asbestos reconfirmed the link between asbestos exposure and mortality from lung, peritoneal and pleural cancer and mesothelioma, Great Britain's Health & Safety Laboratory reported.


Health & Safety Laboratory Report

Asbestos Abatement at Maryland Schools

Two Washington County, Maryland public schools are undergoing asbestos removal as part of the summer renovation projects. Asbestos is classified by the EPA as a known cancer-causing material requiring specially trained and licensed asbestos abatement workers to conduct site decontamination.

At both Fountaindale Elementary School and E. Russell Hicks Middle School the work is being done by licensed crews in compliance with all federal and state laws. Air samples are tested periodically to ensure the air is clean from airborne asbestos fibers.

Fountaindale Elementary was built in 1949 and the asbestos was found in the glazing compound and caulking on the old windows. The asbestos content there is relatively small and is not in a friable, or easily crumbled form, with the cleanup cost estimated at $24,360.

At E. Russell Hicks Middle School the project will cost approximately $21,000. Built in 1967 asbestos was found as part of a fireproofing insulation on the roof deck above the ceiling tiles.

Washington County Public Schools has an asbestos management plan which the public can view by contacting the facilities management office.

Washington County Asbestos Cleanup

Asbestos Still Used in the United States

Asbestos exposure has been associated to the risk of developing many diseases including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. While the dangers of this substance have been known since the early 1920's, the United States has not yet totally banned its use.

Michelle J. White, an economics professor at UC San Diego, stated in her study “Asbestos and the Future of Mass Torts,” that claims for injuries from asbestos "involve more plaintiffs, more defendants and higher costs than any other type of personal injury litigation in U.S. history."

Although it can take up to 40 years after initial exposure of asbestos for a person to exhibit symptoms of asbestos-related cancer such as mesothelioma, which affects the membranes lining the abdomen or lungs, the patient and their family can often tie the exposure to a specific job.

Victims of asbestos-related diseases can bring suit against the companies or manufacturers of products, and the awards often run into the millions. Much of the award is attributed to the pain and suffering associated with the disease.

While the EPA proposed a ban on asbestos use in 1989 it was overturned by a federal circuit court of appeals in 1991. The Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007 was proposed but never signed into law. The most current ban proposal is the Bruce Vento Ban Asbestos and Prevent Mesothelioma Act of 2008.

Asbestos Not Banned in U.S.

Asbestos Health Emergency Declared in Montana Town

Federal officials have declared a public health emergency in a Montana town heavily contaminated with asbestos-laced dust that has been blamed for 200 deaths and 1,000 illnesses.

Lisa Jackson, an administrator with the Environmental Protection Agency, said the agency will spend $125 million over the next five years for a home-by-home clean-up in the town of Libby, Mont.

Asbestos contamination came from a vermiculite mine near Libby that opened in 1919 but is now closed. Vermiculite was often used in insulation but the mineral was contaminated with tremolite asbestos, a toxic form of asbestos that has been linked to mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a cancer that affects the lining around the lungs, stomach or heart. There is no known cure.

Miners apparently carried asbestos home on their clothes, where family members also inhaled the deadly fibers. Vermiculite was once used as ground cover on the track at a Libby school and was also used by some residents as garden mulch.

Iron Range Meeting to Plan Mesothelioma Study

52 miners working at Minnesota’s Iron Range have been found to have mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer. Mesothelioma has been traditionally associated with asbestos exposure; however, there is no known asbestos in the iron ore deposit. When asbestos fibers become airborne, they are breathed into the lungs where serious illness can develop up to 40 years after exposure.

The Minnesota Department of Health will be conducting studies on the miners to determine if they have been exposed to asbestos at any time in their lives, prior to working at Iron Range. Some of the mine workers believe that the taconite dust in the mines is the cause of their illness. No studies to date have proven that mesothelioma can be caused by airborne particles other than asbestos.

Mine officials want to know whether iron ore mining can be linked to mesothelioma. The company is planning an expansion at its Northshore mine, and they want answers so they can move forward with the plan. The mining representatives support the health study, but they don't believe the taconite dust is dangerous.

A meeting will be held June 25th as the next step in the effort to determine the cause of the high rate of mesothelioma in the Iron Range workers. The meeting will lay out the plans for conducting a major survey of taconite workers' lung health. Participants will get an x-ray, blood test, and breathing test. The study gets underway this summer.

Taconite Potential Cause of Mesothelioma
Iron Range Study Underway

Owner of Asbestos Mine, DOJ Reach Settlement Over Contamination

By WADE RAWLINS
The former owner of the largest chrysotile asbestos mine and mill in the U.S. has reached a legal settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to address contamination caused by the former operation.

Under terms of the consent decree, G-I Holdings Inc., formerly known as GAF Corp., will take steps immediately to fence and secure the 1,673-acre abandoned mine and mill site near Lowell, Vermont.

The site has two towering piles of mine and mill waste that are eroding and polluting downstream surface waters, say attorneys with the Department of Justice.

The piles also attract hikers, rock collectors and ATV enthusiasts and may expose people who visit the site to particles of airborne asbestos, Justice officials say. Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause serious respiratory problems and forms of cancer.

G-I Holdings will provide onsite surveillance and will monitor air emissions from the piles and conduct dust suppression if necessary and provide support to EPA and Vermont for future monitoring. The work will be carried out over eight years and G-I will spend up to $7.75 million.

G-I, which has been under bankruptcy protection since 2001, will reimburse the federal government and Vermont a portion of the estimated $300 million for past and future clean-up costs and off site contamination. G-I will pay up to $25.8 million of the cleanup costs. The company also will pay $850,000 for damages to local wetlands and streams.

“The cornerstone of this settlement is that G-I is responsible for completing extensive work at the Vermont Asbestos Group Mine Site, focusing on site security, air monitoring and investigating and sampling certain mine tailings,” John C. Cruden, acting assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said in a statement. “G-I will also pay for its share of cleanup costs for this site and nine other contaminated sites around the country.”

The federal government sued G-I in 2008, asking the court to order the company to take immediate action to address pollution that could pose an imminent threat to public health.

Headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, G-I Holdings and its subsidiary Building Materials Corporation of America make roofing materials such as flashing, vents and shingles. The company has operated under bankruptcy protection since 2001.

The Vermont site is the most significant of 13 contaminated industrial sites covered by the settlement. G-I will contribute $104,615 as its share of cleanup costs to resolve federal claims where its predecessors disposed of hazardous waste.

In addition, the federal government has up to 10 years to bring claims for cleanup costs and environmental damage at three related heavily-contaminated industrial sites in New York and New Jersey —the GAF Chemical site, the LCP Chemicals Inc Superfund site and the Diamond Alkali Superfund site – referred to collectively as the Linden sites.

The consent decree was filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and approval by the federal court.

Chrysotile asbestos is one of two general types of asbestos and the most common found in products in the United States. For example, the asbestos fibers detected in the samples taken at the World Trade Center site were chrysotile asbestos.

U.S. Department of Justice Release

Researchers Suggest Re-evaluating Definition of Asbestos

By Wade Rawlins
The case of a Michigan school librarian suggests that the definition of asbestos should be broadened, researchers say. In a paper published in the July issue of the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, Dr. Michael R. Harbut and colleagues report on treating a 55-year-old woman who suffers from a stabbing chest pain, has scar tissue on her lungs and other symptoms that meet the classic definition of asbestosis. A scarring of the lungs, asbestosis is typically associated with inhaling asbestos fibers.

The woman, whose name the researchers withheld for medical privacy, has been treated at the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers at Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

She has experienced pain in the right side of her chest for years. It began as soreness and has progressed to a knife-like pain. She had begun requiring narcotics to handle the pain in recent years. She continues to work as a school librarian in the taconite mining region of Michigan.

The researchers say the most likely cause of the woman’s ailments was dust from taconite mining that her father brought home on his clothes from the mine, when she was a child. He worked as a miner from 1962 to 1969.

Taconite is a rock rich in silica that is used in the production of steel and as a road-patch material. It is mined in Michigan and Minnesota.

The United States government doesn’t classify taconite as asbestos or asbestiform material. But it has been associated with asbestos-related diseases.

“The identification of a material which has not been categorized as asbestos, but causes a disease consistent with asbestosis, requires a reevaluation of the definition of asbestos,” said Mark Harbut, M.D., co-director of the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers and his colleagues. “This is especially important within the context of legislative efforts to prohibit the use of asbestos.

The researchers say their findings support previous reports that dusts produced by taconite mining can cause the same health problems as other fibers already defined as asbestos.

Currently, the Minnesota Department of Health is conducting a study of the cause of more than 48 cases of mesothelioma linked with mining in northeastern Minnesota.

The case suggests that the definition of asbestos should be broadened, they say.

“The question is logically asked, ‘What is asbestos?’” the researchers write. “The most honest answer is, ‘A fiber which causes asbestosis.’”

Hyperthermal Chemotherapy Research Shows Promise for Mesothelioma

The Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology reported that when mesothelioma cells are under stress from heat, they respond with an increased production of heat-shock proteins that "rescue them from death." After disappointing expectations with the use of heated (hyperthermal) chemotherapy, researchers have now discovered that suppressing the release of these heat-responsive proteins in mesothelioma cancer cells can improve the effectiveness of the chemotherapeutic agent.

The study concluded that the inhibition of the stress proteins, Hsp40/Hsp70 or Erk1/2 MAPK, might present a new option to increase the success of hyperthermia in mesothelioma. Most malignant mesothelioma cases are diagnosed at advanced stages, and by that point the cases are highly resistant to chemotherapeutic agents and other available treatments.

Currently, there is no known cure for mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is a relatively rare cancer limiting the amount of new research and funding for the cancer. While this research is promising there remains much more testing to be conducted for mesothelioma therapy.

In the article researchers noted that while it had been predicted that the number of cases of mesothelioma will decline after 2010, recent studies indicate the rate of new malignant mesothelioma cases will continue to rise at a high level for another 10–15 years in Europe and in the United States, while in other countries the rate may even further increase.

Mesothelioma cells escape heat stress

Heat treatment for Mesothelioma

Brother and Sister Skydive for Mesothelioma Research

Paul and Claire Rawlinson from the UK will skydive in memory of their father and to raise money for the Mick Knighton Mesothelioma Research Fund (MKMRF), reports the North-West Evening News.

Paul credits his sister with the idea of a organizing a sponsored skydive. While she's not into participating in extreme sports, he said his sister wanted to do something out of the ordinary to show their commitment to the cause. Paul will fall 3,500 feet in a solo jump and his sister will fall 14,000 feet in a tandem jump. They hope to raise ₤2,000 which is over $3,200 in U. S. currency.

Their father died at the age of 64 of mesothelioma, the deadliest form of lung cancer.

MKMRF raises money to improve awareness about mesothelioma, to fund research for treatment, and to provide support to the people who suffer from this deadly disease.

UK Siblings Skydive for Mesothelioma

Iron Range Mesothelioma Study Underway

Monday, July 27th, one month after the initial planning meeting, University of Minnesota health researchers began sending letters to both current and former taconite workers, and their families, of Minnesota's Taconite Iron Range mine. The University is enlisting them in a wide-ranging study of mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

The research is being conducted to determine why so many Iron Range workers have been diagnosed, or are dying, from mesothelioma. To date there has been no link between mesothelioma and taconite. However, 52 workers at the mine have been diagnosed with the rare cancer.

A university spokeswoman said the first batch of thousands of letters have been sent to those selected, regardless of their health status, inviting them to participate in the screening program.

$4.9 million was funded by the Legislature last year for the five-year study.

North Carolina Community College Building Closes Due to Asbestos

The Sun Journal reports a Craven Community College building in New Bern, North Carolina, scheduled to house students on the first day of classes, has closed after asbestos was found in the old floor tile.

New Bern's required testing for a permit needed for renovation of buildings uncovered the asbestos. Asbestos was used in construction materials especially in fireproofing, insulation, acoustical materials, and in floor tiles.

Ten full time employees were in the building during the renovations, but testing shows their exposure was minimal. Health problems from asbestos exposure include lung diseases, mesothelioma, and asbestosis, and typically take years to develop.

College employees have been moved out of the building until the building has been professionally cleaned, the asbestos removed, and renovation complete.

The college hopes the building will reopen on or before September 1, 2009.

Liverpool Worker Diagnosed With Mesothelioma - Sues Employer Over Asbestos Exposure

A 60-year-old machine shop worker has sued BAE Land Systems for ₤300,000 in damages because he has been diagnosed with mesothelioma - called the industrial lung disease.

The plaintiff began working at the Barrow shipyard in 1965 where he spent most of his time working in shops that had asbestos-lined roof and cladding on the walls. He then worked in constructing submarines which confined him in small spaces with other workers who mixed asbestos lagging (a type of insulation) and applied it to the walls. Even after the man was assigned to work in the office, he was frequently in the shop where he was exposed to asbestos dust.

He claims neither respiratory protection nor warnings of the danger of exposure to asbestos dust were provided to him by BAE.

The worker was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma in January, 2008, and is now displaying gross symptoms of pain and disability.

Mesothelioma Patient, a Nurse, Will Be Honored At Asbestos Disease Awareness Conference

A nurse who is a seven year survivor of mesothelioma will be honored at the 6th Annual Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) Asbestos Disease Awareness Conference in Chicago, Illinois in April, 2010, according to the ADAO website.

After her diagnosis of plural mesothelioma in 2002, June Breit, RN, went into action on behalf of making people aware of this deadly asbestos related disease and encouraged the governor of Pennsylvania to implement Mesothelioma Awareness Day in the state.

At first Breit thought she had the flu when she had trouble breathing. When receiving the diagnosis of plural mesothelioma Breit was shocked and bewildered as she had no known occupational exposure to asbestos. Breit was well aware of the prognosis of mesothelioma after having been a nurse for 30 years.

Her treatment included surgery to remove part of her lung, the lining of her lung, and her diaphragm, chemotherapy, and radiation. Breit is an avid swimmer and one of her biggest surprises after her treatment was finding she needed two lungs to float after sinking the first time she tried. That did not stop her, however, as she now uses her granddaughter's noodle when she goes to the pool.

Breit continues her battle to ban asbestos use and devotes time to increase funding for the creation of additional treatment options for patients of mesothelioma.

What is Mesothelioma Disease and its diagnosis

Mesothelioma Disease

Mesothelioma disease is one of the deadliest diseases known to man; the average life span of an inflicted person from the time of diagnosis until death is less than 24 months. It's a disease that strikes approximately 3,000 United States citizens each and every year; hard working people who have labored for a lifetime to provide for their families, doing the work that keeps this country running and a great place to live.

The diseased defined Mesothelium is the protective tissue that covers the chest cavity, abdominal cavity and the cavity around the heart and also produces a special lubricating fluid that allows the internal organs of the body to move around. Malignant Mesothelioma disease can be defined as the cancer of the mesothelial cells which become abnormal and start dividing without any order. These cells also cover the outer surface of most internal organs. The tissue formed by these cells is called mesothelium. The mesothelium helps protect the organs by producing a special lubricating fluid that allows organs to move around. For example, this fluid makes it easier for the lungs to move inside the chest during breathing. Majority of the mesothelioma patients have a prior history of exposure to asbestos.

In the localized stage, the cancer is found in the lining of the chest cavity or in the diaphragm or the lung. Advanced malignant Mesothelioma disease can again be divided into 3 stages namely stage II, III and IV. In stage II, the cancer spreads beyond the chest lining to lymph nodes and in stage III it spreads into chest wall, center of the chest, heart, through the diaphragm or abdominal lining, etc. The final or the fourth stage is the one in which the cancer has already spread to distant organs.

The cancer affecting the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum) is called the peritoneal mesothelioma and that affecting the “sac like” space around the heart (pericardial cavity) is called the pericardial mesothelioma. Mesothelioma at times also affects the covering layer of the testicles. However, the last two types of cases are quite rare. The tumors of the mesothelium can either be benign (non cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). So whenever there are symptoms like shortness of breath, pain in chest/abdomen or swelling in the abdomen, you should consult your doctor immediately.

Diagnosis

After the initial X-rays and scans, the doctor may look inside the chest cavity (in case of pleural tumor) with an instrument called thoracoscope and the test is called thoracoscopy. In case of tumor in peritoneum the doctor may go for peritoneoscopy with the help of a tool called peritoneoscope. Finally, if the abnormal tissue is found then a biopsy is done, whereby a piece of the unnatural tissue is cut out and placed under microscope for examination. After the confirmed diagnosis of Mesothelioma disease it is also essential to ascertain its stages i.e. whether it is in localized stage or in advanced stage.Depending on the stage of the cancer, its location and the health, age and medical history of the patient, 3 types of treatments are mated out to malignant Mesothelioma patients – surgery (to remove the tumor), radiation therapy (application of high energy rays) and chemotherapy (usage of combination of drugs). This apart, if there is any accumulation of fluid in the chest or abdomen, then the doctor needs to drain it out and the process is regarded as thoracentesis and paracentesis respectively. So be aware of the disease, such that you can prevent it at the very onset.