Mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure, poses significant challenges for patients in terms of treatment options, quality of life, and financial burdens. While traditional treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy have been the mainstays of mesothelioma management, recent advances in medical research and technology have led to the development of new treatment approaches to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.
However, mesothelioma patients and their families continue to face considerable physical, emotional, and financial challenges associated with the disease. The following is some information on new mesothelioma treatments, their impact on quality of life, the financial burdens patients face, and how a Chicago Mesothelioma lawyer can help recover compensation for expenses, pain, and suffering from this terrible disease.
Promising New Treatments
Recent advancements in mesothelioma treatment have focused on innovative approaches to target the disease at the molecular level, enhance the effectiveness of existing therapies, and improve patient outcomes. Some of these advancements include the following:
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a cutting-edge treatment approach that harnesses the body’s immune system to fight cancer. In mesothelioma, immunotherapy drugs such as pembrolizumab and nivolumab work by blocking proteins that cancer cells use to evade detection and destruction by the immune system.
Since it enhances the body’s immune response to cancer cells, immunotherapy can help slow tumor growth, improve survival, and enhance the quality of life for mesothelioma patients. Immunotherapy and Mesothelioma A New Treatment Approach has shown promise in clinical trials.
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy drugs, such as bevacizumab and imatinib, are designed to target and inhibit cancer cell growth with specific genetic mutations or biomarkers. Targeted therapy disrupts signaling pathways or molecular targets involved in tumor growth and progression. By selectively targeting cancer cells, targeted therapy can help slow tumor growth, shrink tumors, and improve survival outcomes for mesothelioma patients.
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)
PDT combines light-sensitive drugs and laser light to destroy cancer cells. Medical professionals typically use PDT as a palliative treatment to relieve symptoms such as pain and difficulty breathing. During PDT, the doctor administers a photosensitizing drug to the patient, which the laser light activates to destroy cancer cells. PDT can help improve quality of life and prolong survival in mesothelioma patients with localized tumors.
Gene Therapy
Medical researchers are investigating gene therapy techniques, such as viral vector delivery and gene editing, as potential treatments for mesothelioma. These techniques target specific genetic alterations or vulnerabilities in cancer cells. In gene therapy, therapeutic genes are introduced into cancer cells to disrupt tumor growth, kill the cells, or enhance the body’s immune response to tumors.
While gene therapy holds promise for the treatment of mesothelioma, professionals must address challenges such as severe side effects, immune responses, and delivery methods to improve its efficacy and safety. Clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate the potential of gene therapy as a novel treatment approach for mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma’s Quality of Life Effects – And How an Attorney Can Help Minimize Some of Them
While new mesothelioma treatments offer hope for improved survival and disease control, the disease continues to have devastating implications for the quality of life of patients and their families. Mesothelioma patients may experience physical symptoms such as pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, and several other impacts.
Mesothelioma can also have profound emotional and psychological effects on patients, leading to anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation. An attorney can work to relieve some of the financial burdens that contribute to these effects. Here’s a look at how they can do precisely that.
Financial Burdens and Legal Options
Mesothelioma patients and their families often face significant financial burdens as a result of the disease, including medical bills, lost income, and other costs associated with treatment and caregiving.
However, patients may be eligible to pursue compensation through legal means to help alleviate these financial burdens and recover damages for expenses, pain, and suffering incurred due to mesothelioma. Here’s how a lawyer can help recover compensation for mesothelioma-related expenses and losses:
- Identifying liability: A mesothelioma lawyer will investigate the circumstances of the patient’s asbestos exposure to identify the parties responsible for their illness. Potentially liable parties include companies that manufacture asbestos, suppliers who profited from products containing the substance, and others. The lawyer can hold these parties accountable for their negligence or wrongful actions in exposing the patient to asbestos by establishing liability.
- Filing lawsuits or claims: An attorney will file Mesothelioma lawsuits or claims on behalf of the patient to seek compensation for financial losses associated with the disease. They may file an individual Mesothelioma lawsuit or a claim with asbestos trust funds.
- Negotiating with those responsible for your harm: In most cases, lawyers will negotiate with defendants and their insurers to reach a fair settlement that compensates the patient for their damages. This may include negotiating compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and other economic and non-economic losses incurred.
- Litigation and going to court if needed: If the accountable parties don’t settle, a mesothelioma lawyer will represent the patient and advocate for their interests during litigation. This advocacy includes presenting evidence, examining witnesses, and making convincing arguments before a judge and jury to secure a favorable verdict and maximum compensation for the patient’s damages.
Find Out More About How a Mesothelioma Attorney Can Help You
New mesothelioma treatments offer hope for improved patient survival and quality of life. Unfortunately, mesothelioma patients will face significant expenses, pain, and suffering as a result of their illness until there’s a cure.
An attorney can’t help a victim with their physical and emotional suffering, but they can help recover compensation for these losses. Working with a mesothelioma lawyer helps patients hold asbestos companies accountable for their negligence. It also helps them pursue justice and financial compensation to support their medical care and provide for their families during a difficult time.
Contact a mesothelioma attorney as soon as possible to learn more about your legal options and to initiate the process of seeking compensation for your injuries.
