Recent Developments in Mesothelioma Research

In recent years, there have been considerable progress in the field of mesothelioma research made by medical researchers and professionals specialising in the treatment of mesothelioma. The same can also be said of clinical trials that are part of mesothelioma research. There is still a lot of ground to be covered though because there is still no known method for the early detection of mesothelioma. However, advances in technology have certainly helped physicians diagnose mesothelioma cases better and devise more effective treatment plans for patients. People who have had knowingly been exposed to asbestos should undergo the following tests in order to detect the presence of mesothelioma cancer cells:

Chest x-ray. This will detect if there are any abnormalities within the chest.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This will help to determine if an abnormality spotted in the chest is already mesothelioma or just a non-malignant tumour.
Computer Tomography (CT) scans. These show detailed images of the chest which will help determine any chest abnormalities.

Clinical trials play a crucial role in the treatment aspect of mesothelioma research. They shed light on different elements of the illness and also give patients suffering from mesothelioma hope that they can still be cured of the disease no matter what stage of the cancer they are already in.

Mesothelioma patients and their loved ones will be able to view information about existing mesothelioma clinical trials and how to participate in them through online websites such Google They should take advantage of it because this can be a critical way of improving the quality of life of sufferers.

In recent months, a new drug with the name Alimta (Pemetrexed) has already shown great success in clinical trials. When this is used together with Cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug that inhibits the growth of cancer cells, Alimta aims to put a definite stop to the multiplication of cancer cells. This drug has just been recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of mesothelioma, especially for patients who do not have the option to just have the cancerous cells removed.