Treatment of MesotheliomaHow does an oncologist begin to start mesothelioma treatment? That all depends on where the cancer and if it has advanced to the point of spreading somewhere else
in the body. The patient's age and general health may also determine how the disease is battled against. Surgery, radiation therapy, and
chemotherapy are traditional tools to combat mesothelioma.
Surgery is a common first step as the doctor seeks to remove all of the cancerous cells. Removing infected tissue -- and more around the chest
or abdomen is the desired process. In advanced cases of pleural mesothelioma a lung may be removed in a pneumonectomy. Part of the diaphragm, the
muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, may also need to be removed. Many clinical trails have been done on such mesothelioma
treatments by doctors across the world.
Radiation therapy utilizes high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. By fine tuning its aim, radiotherapy affects the cancer cells
only. In-patient visits to an externam radiation machine are typical or an internal process in which materials that produce radiation through
thin plastic tubes are placed into the infected area.
Chemotherapy involves the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. These are also administered in-house as outpatient procedures. They are
usually injected (intravenously).
If the symptoms prove to be too painful the oncologist may use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has built up in the chest or abdomen
-- thoracentesis (chest) or paracentesis (abdomen).
Thankfully, time is a great tool given recent advancements in the treatment of mesothelioma. The recent approval of Eli Lilly's Alimta, taken in
combination with cisplatin chemo, has shown to extend the life expectancy of patients by 30% in Canada. No, it's not a cure, but buying time is
worth considering given the potential of medical breakthroughs in the future. In short, don't give up hope.
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