Mesothelioma treatment will vary according to the stage and site of the cancer. There is normally a choice between surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Any or all of these may be combined in a treatment plan. New treatments are being tried and discovered all the time, including photodynamic therapy, immunotherapy and gene therapy.
Surgery is the primary form of treatment of mesothelioma. In pleural mesothelioma this may be the removal of the area of the pleura, at the cancer site, or if it is affecting the operation of a lung, then the complete lung and the whole of the pleura will be removed. If it is peritoneal mesothelioma then then surgery will remove the tumor, or as much as possible, from the abdomen.
To eliminate any cancer cells left after surgery, radiotherapy is often used. A high dose of radiation will kill the remaining cells. A new treatment, Intensely Modulated Radio Therapy may be tried. In this therapy a map of the tumor either from the physician's notes or a CT scan is fed in to a computer program, which then controls the equipment. This revolves around the patient directing varying doses of radiation at the tumor.
Chemotherapy is intense drug therapy. Generally a mixture of drugs is infused into a patient over a period of time. In the treatment of mesothelioma of the pleura two main drugs, Alimta and Cisplatin are used and are generally given by infusion into a vein.
In peritoneal mesothelioma the drugs are infused directly into the abdominal cavity via a catheter or port. Radio Ablation Therapy is often used in conjunction with this. A radiologist passes microwaves down a probe inserted into the tumor, heating it till it dies. An ultrasound scan will be necessary before this procedure is carried out, to show the size and position of the tumor.
Mesothelioma treatment also includes newer treatments. Photodynamic therapy is where a photosensitizing drug is given to the patient and remains in diseased cells longer than in healthy ones. At the optimum moment a laser is used to target the diseased cells, killing them. Immunotherapy is designed to raise the bodies anti cancer responses, whilst gene therapy attempts to modify or destroy the genes causing cancer.
Surgery is the primary form of treatment of mesothelioma. In pleural mesothelioma this may be the removal of the area of the pleura, at the cancer site, or if it is affecting the operation of a lung, then the complete lung and the whole of the pleura will be removed. If it is peritoneal mesothelioma then then surgery will remove the tumor, or as much as possible, from the abdomen.
To eliminate any cancer cells left after surgery, radiotherapy is often used. A high dose of radiation will kill the remaining cells. A new treatment, Intensely Modulated Radio Therapy may be tried. In this therapy a map of the tumor either from the physician's notes or a CT scan is fed in to a computer program, which then controls the equipment. This revolves around the patient directing varying doses of radiation at the tumor.
Chemotherapy is intense drug therapy. Generally a mixture of drugs is infused into a patient over a period of time. In the treatment of mesothelioma of the pleura two main drugs, Alimta and Cisplatin are used and are generally given by infusion into a vein.
In peritoneal mesothelioma the drugs are infused directly into the abdominal cavity via a catheter or port. Radio Ablation Therapy is often used in conjunction with this. A radiologist passes microwaves down a probe inserted into the tumor, heating it till it dies. An ultrasound scan will be necessary before this procedure is carried out, to show the size and position of the tumor.
Mesothelioma treatment also includes newer treatments. Photodynamic therapy is where a photosensitizing drug is given to the patient and remains in diseased cells longer than in healthy ones. At the optimum moment a laser is used to target the diseased cells, killing them. Immunotherapy is designed to raise the bodies anti cancer responses, whilst gene therapy attempts to modify or destroy the genes causing cancer.
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As with any type of malignancy, the treatment of mesothelioma is more successful when initiated and identified promptly. Learn more about the latest remedies when you review the website at http://www.mesotheliomaquestions.org/treatment-of-mesothelioma.htm now.
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