Mesothelioma Treatments-What Are Your Options?

are several options available for the treatment ofcancerous cells from the body. Curative surgery is only
mesothelioma. The most recommended forms ofrecommended for the early stages of the cancer, that
treatment are: a} Surgery b} Chemotherapy c}is stage 1 and stage 2.Unfortunately however
Radiotherapy. There are however other less popular,mesothelioma is not usually diagnosed until it has
less commonly used forms of treatments, thesereached an advanced stage that is stage 3 and stage
include gene therapy, immunotherapy, photodynamic4, when curative surgery is no longer relevant.
therapy and others.2-Chemotherapy
Some of these other forms of treatment are still in theChemotherapy is an effective treatment option but it
stage of experimental and clinical trials usage.has a lot of side effects. Chemotherapy involves the
The cancer is usually treated by the use ofuse of anticancer drugs which are usually given
combination therapies involving the use of more thanintravenously. Examples of such drugs are Alimta and
one type of therapy. Most times, surgery is used toCisplatin.
remove as much of the tumor as possible and this isAnti cancer drugs target and kill cancer cells by
followed with chemotherapy and or radiotherapy to killinhibiting their rapid and haphazard multiplication and
the remaining cancer cells. This particular combinationdivision.
of surgery and chemotherapy with radiotherapy is oneThese drugs are however not specific in their mode of
of the commonest forms of therapy adopted foraction and they end up killing some normally dividing
treatment.healthy cells causing most of their unpleasant side
Alternative therapies are also sometimes used ineffects associated with use of anti cancer drugs.
combination with the traditional treatment options. ManyNewer chemotherapy drugs are generally more
victims seek to add alternative therapies like TENSeffective than the older drugs. A new form of
therapy, acupuncture, or massage to their treatment.chemotherapy called heated chemotherapy which
When you or your loved one is diagnosed withinvolves the perfusion of heated chemotherapy drugs
mesothelioma, you will have work with your doctor tointo the peritoneum following surgery is used for the
choose the best treatment plan for you. To make thetreatment of peritoneal mesothelioma.
right choice, you have to know all the options available3-Radiotherapy
to you. Having a good knowledge of your chosenRadiotherapy or radiation therapy is the use of high
treatment option often helps you{the victim} and yourenergy rays to kill the cancer cells. This form of
family cope and cooperate better with the treatment.therapy is usually used in combination with surgery.
Mesothelioma cureRadiotherapy may also be used as a sole therapy to
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is notoriouslyrelieve pain and some other symptoms associated
resistant to most forms of treatment. Most of thewith mesothelioma. Radiotherapy generally gives short
presently available forms of treatment such asterm symptomatic relief.
surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy only offerThere are two types of radiotherapy
palliative relief and not a cure.therapies.a-External beam radiation which is the
Many scientific studies and clinical trials have tried findcommoner type in which radiation beam is directed
a cure for mesothelioma, but all have failed to comeunto the affected area of the body from an external
up with a cure.source.b-Brachytherapy or internal radiotherapy; This is
Because mesothelioma is a rare cancer, attracting thea newer type of radiotherapy in which tiny radioactive
necessary funding for the research to find a cure hasrods are implanted into the tumor area of the body to
been difficult, but recently as result increased publicprovide a strong concentrated dose of radiation to the
awareness about the disease, more people andtumor while doing very little damage to the surrounding
specific interest groups are beginning to show morenormal healthy tissues.
interest in supporting research for mesothelioma cure.4-Photodynamic Therapy
Once good funding is available for research, the hopeThis is a form of highly specialized and specific form
for a cure will become a tangible reality in the not tooof treatment that uses light energy to kill cancer cells, it
distant future.is used to treat skin cancers, some types of lung
Treatment Optionscancers, and pleural mesothelioma.
1-SurgeryThis form of treatment is however not suitable for
There are three main types of surgical treatments forpatients with metastasized cancers, it is most
mesothelioma: a}diagnostic surgery b}curative surgeryeffective in patients with localized form of
c}palliative surgery.mesothelioma. Photodynamic therapy involves giving
Some types of surgeries fall into more than onethe patient an intravenous solution of a medication that
category. Thorancentesis{removal of fluid from themakes the cancer cells highly sensitive to a particular
pleural space}which may be a diagnostic procedurekind of light. One to two days after their treatment, the
may also be used as a form of palliative treatment topatient is exposed to light, and the cancer cells that
provide symptomatic relief.have absorbed the medications are killed.
Curative surgery is aimed at removing if possible all