Mesothelioma

The term "remission" generally refers to a state of absence of any disease activity among patients with cancer. Doctors typically cite two types of remission, which includes complete remission and partial remission. Complete remission is the total absence of the disease without signs of cancer. Partial remission only indicates shrinkage of the tumor and lessening of the disease.

Mesothelioma Patients and Remission

For mesothelioma patients, remission is certainly less likely to occur. Most cases of mesothelioma are not detected until symptoms arise, which is when the cancer has already reached Stage III or IV of development. Nevertheless, some doctors have reported a handful of cases of both drug and therapy-induced remission. Researchers believe remission after treatment or therapy may be linked to changes in the immune system.

In particular, many long-term survivors of mesothelioma indicate they drastically changed their diet and added daily supplements to enhance their immune system. Many of these same survivors promote the efficacy of alternative treatments as part of their regimen and several have shunned conventional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery.

However, that does not mean conventional treatments should be discounted. There have been a number of cases where mesothelioma patients have experienced remission after chemotherapy. In one case, a 71-year-old Japanese woman with peritoneal mesothelioma went into remission after receiving intraperitoneal injections of the chemotherapy drug Cisplatin. She also received other chemotherapy medications that were administered in the traditional manner. The case, as reported by Yokohama City University School of Medicine, was judged to be quite rare and the disease did return less than a year later. Nevertheless, the woman enjoyed several additional disease-free months.

Today, with the advent of new medications, improved treatments, early detection methods and clinical trials, remissions are becoming more common. Additional money is now being spent on mesothelioma research and support groups nationwide are receiving more donations. Unfortunately, research still has a long way to go in conquering this aggressive disease.