mesothelioma treatment

The treatment of mesothelioma is a combination of

surgery,
chemotherapy,
radiation therapy and
multimodal approach.

mesothelioma treatment Patients may also try experimental treatment of mesothelioma through clinical trials.
In any case, improving lifespan through mesothelioma treatments is not possible.
Therapies often just helps to reduce pain and suffering from mesothelioma symptoms.

treatment for mesothelioma

pleural mesothelioma treatment and
peritoneal mesothelioma treatment

who have been exposed to asbestos are at particularly high risk.

Factors affecting treatment of mesothelioma options

Factors for treatment mesothelioma include

the cancer stage,
primary site affected and
cell type.

mesothelioma treatments also depends on whether

the cancer location,
coverage of cancer in

the chest wall,
diaphragm, or
lymph nodes,

patient age and
overall health.

mesothelioma treatment - surgery

mesothelioma disease patients on an early-stage mesothelioma diagnosis can be treated with surgery to remove tumor(s).
The location of tumor concludes on the type of surgery.
mesothelioma surgery includes removing

the mesothelial lining,
one or more lymph nodes, or
part or all of a lung or
other organ.

mesothelioma treatments - chemotherapy

Chemotherapy drugs attacks fast-growing mesothelioma cancer cells.
It is used in conjunction with mesothelioma surgery .
After physical removal through surgery, escaped cell is mesothelioma cancer cells which can be removed through chemotherapy.

chemotherapy for mesothelioma disease – delivery by port in lungs

A supplemental oxygen is prescribed to ease breathing.
This is delivered by thin plastic tubing with prongs that fit into your nostrils or a mask.
If the asbestosis symptoms are severe, the patient may need a lung transplant.

chemotherapy for mesothelioma - mesothelioma treatments using infusion bags in abdomen

mesothelioma treatment options - radiotherapy

Radiation shrinks mesothelioma cancer and very less people are mesothelioma survivors their age will be extended a little bit.
It is then easy to be removed through surgery.

The mesothelioma radiation therapy is delivered using an external or an internal source based on tumor’s location.

mesothelioma treatment options

mesothelioma treatment options – multimodal approach

Multimodal approach uses combination of all three types of treatment.
multimodal treatment proved to be more effective than any of these individual treatments.
Experiments depict that surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has resulted in increase of life.

multimodal mesothelioma treatment types

Multimodal treatment typically consists of:

primary mesothelioma treatment
neoadjuvant mesothelioma therapy
adjuvant mesothelioma treatment

Primary mesothelioma treatment:

Surgery to remove the tumor.

Adjuvant mesothelioma therapy:

Chemotherapy to kill any remaining cells.
A helper treatment after the primary treatment

Neoadjuvant mesothelioma therapy:

Radiation to shrink the tumor size.
A “helper” treatment before the primary treatment

Experimental - mesothelioma treatments – clinical trial

Promising mesothelioma treatments came out of clinical trials.
mesothelioma treatment centers helps extending the lives of mesothelioma patients by months or years (rare cases).

Immunotherapy

mesothelioma symptoms treatment is the best option. Boosting the immune system to enhance the body’s defenses against mesothelioma cancer

Gene Therapy

Fixing or overwriting problematic genes in one’s DNA.

Photodynamic Therapy

Using light and photosensitizing drugs to kill cancer cell (few side effects).

mesothelioma treatment clinical trial - stages

Clinical trials involve four phases with a focus on important aspect of product development.

Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy:

This is a precise form of delivering radiation.
It spares healthy tissues around a tumor.
It is used in hospitals nationwide and delivers external radiation therapy.

Prophylactic Radiation:

This involves studying the effectiveness of prophylactic radiation of tracts

tracts from biopsies,
chest tubes and
surgical incisions

It prevents or delays the onset of cancerous chest nodules in pleural mesothelioma.
This is the first Phase III trial on asbestos mesothelioma cancers.

Biomarkers:

Biomarkers identifies specific compounds in fluid or tissue samples.
This samples can indicate the presence or absence of a certain disease.
‘Fujirebio Diagnostics' test detect the biomarkers associated with mesothelioma with a simple blood screen.
Research is under progress to increase the rate of early diagnosis.

complementary - mesothelioma treatments

mesothelioma treatments provide

additional relief from symptoms or
help patients during recovery after treatment.
It is used along with the standard medical treatments.
An example is using acupuncture to help reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.

complementary - mesothelioma treatments - palliative care

Palliative care delivers

Focus on relieving the pain and suffering of the patient.
Medications to control pain, difficulty breathing, and other symptoms.

complementary - mesothelioma treatments - physical therapy

Physical Therapy

help patients recover from the sufferings of the mesothelioma treatment.
improves a mesothelioma survivors quality of life.
type of physical therapy depends on the type of mesothelioma treatment received by the patient.
Also the body reactions are considered to decide on type of physical therapy.
Physical therapists may work with physicians and other medical professionals.
Greater mobility is one of the most important things a physical therapist can do for a mesothelioma patient.

Common types of physical therapy include

cardiovascular training,
scar tissue healing,
fatigue management, and
strength training.

complementary - mesothelioma treatments – alternative therapies

alternative mesothelioma treatment includes,

massage
acupuncture
yoga and
art therapy

Care must be taken to ensure it will not interfere the primary treatment plan.