Treatments for Mesothelioma


    Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient’s age and general health  

    Treatment options for the management of malignant mesothelioma include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and multimodality treatment.

    Surgery in patients with disease confined to the pleural space is reasonable. 

    1. 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.

    2. Radiation therapy, 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).

    3. 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).

    4. Trimodality therapy This involves a combination of all 3 standard strategies (ie, surgery,      chemotherapy, radiation) 

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Categories : What is Mesothelioma?

Comments
jackie October 11, 2008

The Surgery Treatment is used to take out the cancer. There are several different
surgery procedures used, all depending on which stage the cancer is in. Some of the procedures are Diagnostic Procedure, Palliative Procedure, and the
Potentially Curative Procedure. A person should always understand the benefits and risks involved when proceeding with one of these procedures for treatment .
Always express your concerns with your physician and be sure that all of your
questions are answered to your satisfaction and understanding.The Surgery Treatment

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