Mesothelioma Treatment
Mesothelioma, the name given to the cancer associated with long-term exposure to asbestos, is generally a malignant (cancerous) disease with no known cure. However, there are treatments available to help curb or slow down the effects of the disease. The most common of these treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Surgery
While surgery can be performed to physically remove the cancer, the type of surgery performed will depend on several factors:
• Type of Mesothelioma disease
• Stage to which the disease has progressed
• Age and other medical factors of the patient
Chemotherapy
In this treatment, drugs are used to kill the cancer cells. This is known as a systemic treatment because the drugs are injected directly into the bloodstream, allowing the treatment to travel throughout the body killing the cancer cells along the way. Chemotherapy is often the used as the primary treatment for mesothelioma and can also be used in tandem with other treatments.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to destroy the cancer cells and shrink any tumors. There are two forms of radiation therapy available.
• External Radiation: administered by machine from outside the body
• Internal (Implant) Radiation: administered through thin plastic tubes inserted or implanted in the body that transfer radioactive materials directly in and around the cancer cells
In addition to these more traditional mesothelioma treatments, experimental therapies are also being tested.
Photodynamic Therapy
For this treatment, light energy is used to destroy cancer cells. It has been found to also be effective when combined with traditional surgery. Photodynamic Therapy is still in the experimental stage in treating mesothelioma but it is showing great promise in treating other forms of cancer.
Gene Therapy
This treatment is still in the clinical trial stage. Rather than also destroying healthy cells as with chemotherapy, this technique would allow treatment to target the tumors only.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is also referred to as biological therapy. It treats the cancer by using the body’s natural immune system to fight off the cancer cells.
Modern science and medicine continue to search for cures for all forms of cancer, including Mesothelioma. In the meantime, remember than symptoms from asbestos exposure can take decades to present themselves.