A woman diagnosed with mesothelioma regained hope after learning about a revolutionary treatment option available in the United States that a hospital in Los Angeles, Calif. is beginning to offer mesothelioma patients.
Jan Egerton, a 48-year-old woman diagnosed with mesothelioma eight years ago, from County Durham, England, was told that there was little doctors could do for tumors she had since they were larger than two centimeters.
After researching mesothelioma treatments and options available to help fight the tumors, Egerton learned of a ground-breaking procedure involving the freezing and reheating of a tumor until it dies to treat mesothelioma, a rare, aggressive asbestos-related cancer.
Three weeks after contacting UCLA Medical Center, Egerton and her husband hopped on a plane heading for California, for two sessions of cryoablation, a minimally invasive treatment, costing more than $7,000 per session.
Cryoablation uses cold energy to kill tissue and is commonly used to treat patients with prostate, liver or cervical cancer. Though further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the procedure, cryoablation is being used to treat deep tumors in the body such as those found in the lungs, kidneys, bones and breasts.
“The treatment has made day-to-day life easier. It has stopped me from getting so many back aches. And if we manage to clear all tumors, it will take at least five years for it to grow back, giving me at least five years to live,” Egerton stated.
Egerton’s experience with cryoablation was filmed and she was able to watch the footage after the procedure was complete.
“You see the cancer turn black and die in front of you. It’s great,” Egerton explained.
Upon Egerton’s return to England, she underwent surgery to remove the lining of her lung and, five weeks later, is optimistic about her future.
Egerton believes she developed mesothelioma after becoming exposed to asbestos secondhand through her father who worked with the toxic mineral. She is eager to inform others about cryoablation, stating she would donate monetary gains incurred as a result of her illness to help fund trips for mesothelioma patients to the United States for treatment
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment