Mesothelioma

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Coping and support

By Mayo Clinic staff

Living with cancer newsletter

Subscribe to our Living with cancer newsletter to stay up to date on cancer topics.

A diagnosis of mesothelioma can be devastating not only to you, but also to your family and friends. In order to regain a sense of control, try to:

  • Learn enough about mesothelioma to make decisions about your care. Write down questions to ask your doctor. Ask your health care team for information to help you better understand your disease. Good places to start looking for more information include the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society.
  • Surround yourself with a support network. Close friends or family can help you with everyday tasks, such as getting you to appointments or treatment. If you have trouble asking for help, learn to be honest with yourself and accept help when you need it.
  • Seek out other people with cancer. Ask your health care team about cancer support groups in your community. Sometimes there are questions that can only be answered by other people with cancer. Support groups offer a chance to ask these questions and receive support from people who understand your situation. Online support message boards, such as the American Cancer Society's Cancer Survivors Network, can offer similar benefits while allowing you to remain anonymous.
  • Plan ahead. Ask your health care team about advance directives that give your family guidance on your medical wishes in case you can no longer speak for yourself. Talk to a lawyer about your will and your living will, if you haven't already done so.
Prevention Alternative medicine
References
  1. Malignant pleural mesothelioma. Fort Washington, Pa.: National Comprehensive Cancer Network. http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/mpm.pdf. Accessed June 28, 2010.
  2. Sovak MA, et al. Tumors of the pleura and mediastinum. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2007:1367.
  3. Broaddus VC, et al. Tumors of the pleura. In: Murray and Naedel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4710-0..C2009-0-37805-8--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-4710-0&uniq=207463617#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4710-0..C2009-0-37805-8--TOP%3Bfrom%3Dcontent%3Bisbn%3D978-1-4160-4710-0%3Btype%3DbookHome. Accessed June 28, 2010.
  4. Mesothelioma: Questions and answers. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/sites-types/mesothelioma. Accessed June 28, 2010.
  5. Alexander HR. Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 29, 2010.
  6. Frias-Kletecka MC, et al. Mesothelioma of the tunica vaginalis. The Journal of Urology. 2007;178:1489.
  7. Malignant mesothelioma treatment (PDQ). National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malignantmesothelioma/patient/allpages. Accessed June 28, 2010.
  8. Frequently asked questions about cancer, simian virus 40 (SV40) and polio vaccine. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/updates/archive/polio_and_cancer.htm. Accessed June 29, 2010.
  9. Thorium: ToxFAQs. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=659&tid=121. Accessed June 29, 2010.
  10. Schartzstein RM, et al. Dyspnea. In: Murray and Naedel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4710-0..C2009-0-37805-8--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-4710-0&uniq=207463617#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4710-0..C2009-0-37805-8--TOP%3Bfrom%3Dcontent%3Bisbn%3D978-1-4160-4710-0%3Btype%3DbookHome. Accessed June 28, 2010.
  11. Bausewein C, et al. Non-pharmacological intervention for breathlessness in advanced stages of malignant and non-malignant diseases. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2009;CD005623.
  12. Asbestos: Basic information. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/help.html. Accessed June 29, 2010.
DS00779 Aug. 7, 2010

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