Mesothelioma is a particularly nasty form of cancer. Always terminal, it usually affects the membrane covering the lungs causing severe shortage of breath, making the final stages extremely distressing, not only for the sufferer but also for the family. That follows the initial devastating blow of being given a prognosis of only a few months to live because it is often not diagnosed until advanced. Alimta is the only chemotherapy drug available for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma in patients who are not suitable for surgery. It is not a cure but it can both improve the quality of life and extend life for appropriate patients. It was approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium and doctors here have been prescribing it for about 18 months.
Mesothelioma is a particularly nasty form of cancer. Always terminal, it usually affects the membrane covering the lungs causing severe shortage of breath, making the final stages extremely distressing, not only for the sufferer but also for the family.
