Mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. Due to a long latency period, diagnosis of mesothelioma comes years- up to fifty years- after time of exposure and often only after the cancer has reached advanced stages. For many, survival from time of diagnosis is less than a year, although some have survived as long as five years after being told they had mesothelioma.
Unlike some other cancers, mesothelioma has no known cure and treatments are intended to provide palliative relief only. Patients, caregivers, family members and loved ones each deal with the reality of incurable disease and death in their own way. However, it is highly recommended that the patient and close family members have someone they can talk to about treatment options, a living will, medical rights, and other challenging topics related to death and dying.
Palliative and hospice nurses as well as hospital chaplains and religious professionals can be very helpful and supportive in facilitating such conversations. One of the first conversations to have is when and what type of treatments, if any, to pursue. Standard treatments for mesothelioma are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Such treatments, while helping to provide some palliative relief are not curative and can be quite aggressive, taking a toll on the overall health and quality of life of the patient. Even when these treatments are performed, mesothelioma can be difficult to control and the cancer can quickly recur.
When the disease is untreatable or is recurring, the conversation of whether to stop all aggressive interventions becomes necessary. At this point, the patient, loved ones and the health care team will need to make a decision as to whether the relief provided by treatments is higher than the symptoms caused by the interventions themselves. It can be difficult to talk about end of life, such as stopping treatments, hospice care, financial and legal issues, and funeral arrangements.Hospice and palliative care specialists can be extremely helpful during this time.
Hospice workers are specially trained in end of life and terminal illness care. They are able to provide information, support, and guidance around all medical, physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and loved ones.
The time for hospice care is when you or someone close to you has decided or been advised by doctors to stop active treatments. Hospice is available once the doctors determine that the patient has less than six months to live and the cancer is untreatable and incurable. Hospice can provide most if not all of the services needed for end of life care, including home equipment, nurse and health care specialist visits, counseling, and suggestions on how to handle life after death.
Talk to your oncologist, medical team or the American Cancer Society to get information about the nearest hospice location.