Can Mesothelioma Go Into Remission?

To some extent, the difference between a chronic disease and an incurable disease is a matter of perspective. Oncologists’ offices sometimes ask patients to ring a bell to celebrate their last chemotherapy session or a cancer-free test result. Doctors counsel patients not to focus too much on cures and especially not to put their trust in unproven treatments that promise miraculous results. Treating cancer until it is gone is now a common occurrence, especially with modern treatments such as highly precise surgeries, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. How long the cancer will stay gone is a different question and one determined by multiple factors, such as the type of cancer and the patient’s medical history. Therefore, the goal of most cancer treatments, including those for malignant mesothelioma, is to achieve remission. A Houma mesothelioma lawyer can help you get the treatment you need to stay in remission and increase your survival time.

What Does Remission Mean in Mesothelioma?

Remission refers to an asymptomatic phase of a chronic illness. For example, some illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis have flare-ups, where patients have severe symptoms, followed by periods of remission, where the symptoms are mild or non-existent. In other illnesses, remission is defined based on lab tests or diagnostic images instead of symptoms.  For example, an HIV infection is considered to be in remission if a patient’s viral load is undetectable on blood tests despite not having taken a dose of antiretroviral medication for a certain period of time.  Many types of cancer, including mesothelioma, usually reach an advanced stage before they cause symptoms.

Malignant mesothelioma is considered to be in partial remission if the tumor is less than 50 percent of the size it was before you began treatment. Total remission is when no tumor is visible on an X-ray or other diagnostic image.

Improving Your Chances of Long-Term Remission

The best way to achieve remission of mesothelioma is through surgeries such as extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP). You may still need other treatments, such as chemotherapy, after your surgery.  Mesothelioma surgeries involve removing part of a lung or even an entire lung. Treatment outcomes and survival times are improving, but as of 2024, only 10% of patients are still alive five years after receiving their mesothelioma diagnosis.

Getting the most up-to-date treatments from the most knowledgeable doctors can help improve your chances of achieving long-term remission. This could mean traveling to visit oncologists who have experience treating mesothelioma. It might also mean participating in clinical trials where you can receive treatment regimens that are not yet widely available in clinical practice. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should focus on your health, not on the bills; mesothelioma is so preventable that legal remedies are available to help you pay for treatment.

Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey About Mesothelioma Cases

A mesothelioma lawyer can help you if you have been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma.  Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey in Houma, Louisiana, to set up a consultation about your case.