Mesothelioma from the patient's perspective

Abstract

Patients who have mesothelioma experience a chaotic illness with a high symptom burden and traumatic distressing medical interventions that are palliative rather than curative in virtually all cases. Patients interviewed for this study tended to deal with the illness and its consequences with stoicism and relied heavily on their spouses for support and encouragement in the privacy of their homes. Benefit and compensation processes aggravated the situation and persist for relatives to deal with after patients die. Patients who have mesothelioma are in a particularly disadvantaged situation. These interviews reveal considerable unmet need for relief of symptoms and distress. These issues are being widely reported in the interests of informing service development. © 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.