Mesothelioma Cancer Clinical Trials | Symptoms and Causes

Mesothelioma Cancer Clinical Trials:

Alternative medicine

No alternative medicine treatments have proved helpful in treating mesothelioma cancer. But complementary and alternative treatments may help control mesothelioma signs and symptoms. Discuss options with your doctor.

Mesothelioma can cause pressure within your chest that can make you feel as if you're always short of breath. Breathlessness can be distressing. Your doctor may recommend using supplemental oxygen or taking medications to make you more comfortable, but often these aren't enough. Combining your doctor's recommended treatments with complementary and alternative approaches may help you feel better.

Alternative treatments that have shown some promise in helping people cope with breathlessness include:

Acupuncture:

Acupuncture uses thin needles inserted at precise points into your skin.

Breath training:

A nurse or physical therapist can teach you breathing techniques to use when you feel breathless. Sometimes you may feel breathless and begin to panic. Using these techniques may help you feel more in control of your breathing.

Relaxation exercises:

Slowly tensing and relaxing different muscle groups may help you feel more at ease and breathe easier. Your doctor may refer you to a therapist who can teach you relaxation exercises so that you can do them on your own.
Sitting near a fan. Directing a fan to your face may help ease the sensation of breathlessness.

Coping and support

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 healthcare team about advance directives that give your family guidance on your medical wishes in case you can no longer speak for yourself in mesothelioma disease.