How is Mesothelioma Treated?
Treatment for mesothelioma depends on the location
of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and
general health. Standard treatment options include surgery, radiation
therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.
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.
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).
Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer 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).
To relieve symptoms and control
pain, the doctor may use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that
has built up in the chest or abdomen. The procedure for removing fluid
from the chest is called thoracentesis.
Removal of fluid from the abdomen
is called paracentesis. Drugs may be given through a tube in the chest
to prevent more fluid from accumulating. Radiation therapy and surgery
may also be helpful in relieving symptoms.
About the Author
Alan Allport is Webmaster of http://www.asbestos-cancer.best-gen.com
a site that specialises in giving the very best information on asbestos
cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma
