Mesothelioma Patients Seeking Medical Care May Now Receive Air Transportation

Patients with the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma will now be able to receive the best medical care through a new program that aims to provide air transportation to top cancer centers around the country.

While treatment for most patients can be available at local clinics, many top hospitals with programs dedicated to mesothelioma can be hundreds or thousands of miles away. The costs of travel can severely discourage patients from making the trip and prompt the patients to seek alternatives to their treatments. Thanks to Angel Flight, Corporate Angel Network, Pilots for Patients and other organizations consisting of volunteers and pilots, patients who are in need of financial help or are too sick to travel may now be able to fly to the destination of their choice to receive the best care possible.

Patients may call the medical facility of their choice and find the most charitable flight organization that works best for them. Although the requirements for patient eligibility may vary, patients must have received a diagnosis that requires treatment at a specialized hospital, have mobility, financial need and be medically stable to fly in an unpressurized plane.

Many cancer centers offer several advantages for cancer patients, including personalized care through a team of doctors who are assigned specific roles in various treatment methods. Several mesothelioma programs not only include clinical trials, experts in thoracic medical oncology, radiation, pulmonary and pathology fields, but also feature a wide range of social and education parameters to educate patients and family members about this rare disease.

Mesothelioma typically develops after exposure to asbestos. When toxic asbestos fibers are inhaled, they may become lodged in organs or body cavities, causing inflammation or infection. Many patients do not demonstrate symptoms of the cancer for 20 to 50 years after initial exposure occurred, allowing mesothelioma to progress to later stages of development.

Though a cure for does not exist, mesothelioma treatment options such as radiation, chemotherapy and surgery may be available to patients to combat the disease. Approximately 2,000 to 3,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year, accounting for approximately 3 percent of cancer diagnoses in the United States.

For more information on mesothelioma and mesothelioma treatment, please visit the Mesothelioma Center.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 9:31 am and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.