You should be informed of all
available options so that you, your family, and doctor can make the best
decision together.
Surgery, chemotherapy, and clinical trials, as well as new
approaches such as photodynamic therapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy may be
offered. Speak openly with your doctor regarding suggested procedures. Questions
to ask may include:
What are common mesothelioma treatments?
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. Your 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.
Another kind of mesothelioma treatment is radiation therapy or radiotherapy. It 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
mesothelioma cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).
Chemotherapy for mesothelioma treatment uses 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.
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 mesothelioma
treatment 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.
Do these treatments have any side effects? In radiotherapy, the x-rays
are carefully targeted to do as little damage as possible to normal body
tissues. It may cause some side effects, but most go away after treatment stops.
They can include tiredness, dry and sensitive skin in the treated area, a sore
throat, and difficulty swallowing for a few days or weeks. It can also cause
permanent changes known as fibrosis in the lung tissue. This is not usually a
problem unless high doses of radiotherapy are used to a large area.
The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the drugs used and can vary from
person to person. Side effects usually go away after treatment stops. Ask your
doctor about the side effects and how to manage them. With surgery there may be
a chest pain; this usually goes away or greatly improves over weeks to months.
Are there any new mesothelioma treatments?
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) sponsors clinical trials (research studies
with people) designed to find new treatments and better ways to use current
treatments. Before any new treatment can be recommended for general use, doctors
conduct clinical trials to determine whether the treatment is safe for patients
and effective against the disease. Participation in clinical trials is an
important treatment option for many patients with mesothelioma cancer.
Do I have a mesothelioma cancer case?
Free information on clinical trials and
cancer treatment centers.
