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Mesothelioma Treatment
What is the treatment for mesothelioma?
Treatment of mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of mesothelioma, and the patient's age and general health. Standard mesothelioma treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.
Radiation Therapy for Mesothelioma
Radiation therapy for mesothelioma , also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).
Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given by injection into a vein (intravenous, or IV). Doctors are also studying the effectiveness of putting chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy).
To relieve symptoms and control pain caused by mesothelioma, the doctor may use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has built up in the chest or abdomen. The procedure for removing fluid from the chest is called thoracentesis. Removal of fluid from the abdomen is called paracentesis. Drugs may be given through a tube in the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating. Radiation therapy and surgery may also be helpful in relieving symptoms.
Surgery as treatment for mesothelioma
Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.
Types of surgical treatment for mesothelioma
There are two main types of surgical treatment for pleural mesothelioma: extra-pleural pneumonectomy and pleurectomy decortication.
Extra-pleural pneumonectomy is extensive and involves the removal of the pleura, diaphragm, pericardium, and the entire lung affected by the tumor.
Pleurectomy decortication, on the other hand, involves only the removal of the pleura. Since complete surgical removal of the entire tumor is unlikely this procedure is generally performed to reduce pain caused by the tumor mass or to prevent the recurrence of pleural effusion.
Are there currently any clinical trials for mesothelioma treatment?
People with malignant mesothelioma may want to take part in clinical trials, which are studies of different kinds of treatment. Doctors conduct clinical trials to learn about how well new treatments work and what their side effects are. People who participate in clinical trials may benefit from new treatments. They also make an important contribution to medical science and help future cancer patients.
There are many studies going on in the area of malignant mesothelioma. Currently, clinical trials are being conducted to test new chemotherapy drugs and immunotherapy agents for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Treatment
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