The House of Representatives has decided to call a joint committee together to try to determine more accurately understand what causes mesothelioma. They decided to call the meeting after 35 new cases occured on the Range. Testimony on Tuesday morning outlined a 25-year history of attempts to address questions about mining occupations and respiratory diseases, questions that still remain today.
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a form of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the abdominal cavity. It is less common than the pleural form of mesothelioma, comprising approximately one-fifth to one-third of the total number of mesothelioma cases diagnosed. According to the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) database, these diagnoses are approximately 54.7 per cent male versus 45.3 per cent female, with the median age being 65-69.
Chemotherapy is a treatment option that is used to treat mesothelioma. It may be used to achieve different goals, depending on the stage of the cancer at the time of diagnosis and the age and health of the patient as well. Since chemotherapy for mesothelioma is not considered “curative”, the goal is only to control the cancer by stopping its spread or slowing its growth, to shrink tumors prior to other treatments, such as surgery(this is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy).