Mesothelioma as a whole generates approximately 3,000 new diagnoses per year which qualifies it as a very rare cancer, often called an orphan disease. Peritoneal accounts for only about 20% or 1 out of every 5 of mesothelioma diagnoses so research and expertise on this deadly form of mesothelioma are even scarcer. Peritoneal mesothelioma effects the lining of the abdomen rather than the lining of the lungs like the more common pleural mesothelioma.
Croatian cancer researchers published a case study in the Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology documenting a 4 year survival rate for a patient diagnosed with advanced peritoneal mesothelioma. The doctors out of Zagreb credit the longer than average survival rate to cytoreductive surgery, intraperitoneal chemotherapy, followed by several rounds of systemic chemotherapy with Alimta when the patient relapsed.
Just as is the case with pleural mesothelioma there is no second-line treatment for the inevitable relapse of peritoneal mesothelioma. The patient in the published case was treated with Alimta after relapse because of how well the patient responded to the chemotherapy during initial treatments. An author of the study Dr. Peitle wrote that “Although the intent behind systemic treatment was at first solely palliative, overall survival after the initial diagnosis was 50 months.” The report concluded that Alimta “can result in a quite satisfactory disease control and symptom management.”
The Paul Law Firm advocates for victims of asbestos-related diseases. If you or a loved one is suffering from mesothelioma, call the Paul Law Firm. With over 2.5 billion dollars collected for victims of asbestos exposure, we have the knowledge and the experience to fight for you. We also understand that fighting doesn’t just happen in the courtroom. It also happens in a lab where we are fighting for a cure. Check out the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America here.
Call us today at 1-855 88 LEGAL (885-3425) or contact us online to discuss your case with one of our experienced mesothelioma lawyers
