Treatment options

Surgery for mesothelioma can provide symptomatic relief and sometimes the bulk of the tumor can be removed. Surgery is often used in combination with other treatments (known as multi-modal treatments), but its value is very limited if the tumor is near any vital organs.

Chemotherapy for mestothelioma

Chemotherapy for mesothelioma uses special anti-cancer medicines and chemicals to try to kill malignant cells. Often, chemotherapy is used as an additional therapy alongside radical surgery and/or in along with radiation therapy or immunotherapy, particularly when the cancer has spread beyond an operable area. Many drugs have been tried; so far, however, all have met with only limited success against malignant mesothelioma.

Treatment options

Cancer and treatments all have side effects. It is hard to kill cancer cells at the same time as keeping all healthy cells safe. Side effects of mesothelioma treatment depend on the type of mesothelioma treatment and the person's overall health when treatment starts.

Surgery for mesothelioma

There are two main types of surgical treatment for pleural mesothelioma: extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and pleurectomy/decortication. EPP involves the removal of the pleura, diaphragm, pericardium, and the whole lung involved with the tumor. Pleurectomy/decortication involves the removal of the pleura without removing the entire lung.

Treatment options

Not all mesothelioma patients are are helped with standard therapy, and some standard mesothelioma treatments may have more side effects than are desired. Clinical trials, therefore, are designed to find better ways to treat cancer patients and are based on the most up-to-date information. Clinical trials are ongoing in many parts of the country for many patients with malignant mesothelioma. These new approaches often combine two or more traditional mesothelioma treatments or consist of other promising innovations.

Radiation therapy

Radiation treatment is another option for treating mesothelioma. It involves the localized use of high-dose radiation (like x-rays) on malignant tumors. Usually, it is not a primary treatment but is used in conjunction with other therapies such as surgical resection and chemotherapy. It is generally used to reduce the size of the symptomatic tumor and help relieve symptoms like pain and shortness of breath. The appropriateness of radiation therapy depends on factors such as the volume of the tumor and how near it is to vital organs.

Treatment options

Intraoperative photodynamic therapy is a new type of mesothelioma treatment that uses special drugs and light to kill cancer cells during surgery. A drug that makes cancer cells more sensitive to light is injected into a vein several days before surgery. During surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible, a special light is used to shine on the pleura. This treatment is being studied for early stages of mesothelioma in the chest.

Treatment options

A recent study followed about 400 mesothelioma patients who underwent different types of surgery commonly employed against mesothelioma. The results indicate that no one type of surgery was more effective than another in extending the survival rate. Rather, other factors seemed to determine how long people survived. These factors included the stage and cell type of the tumor, the gender of the patient, and the type of treatment(s) used in concert with the surgery.

Treatment options

At this time malignant mesothelioma is not a curable disease. However, increased medical technology can prolong the life in many mesothelioma cases. If you suffer from mesothelioma, your best defense against the progression of malignant mesothelioma cancer is early diagnosis; consult with your doctor if you know you have been exposed to asbestos.