Mesothelioma Treatment Options
Mesothelioma patients should consult a mesothelioma specialist to discuss a treatment plan. Many specialists offer new and innovative treatments that can improve the prognosis and symptoms.
Mesothelioma is treated by doctors through surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Some types of mesothelioma can also respond to immunotherapy. Mesothelioma may recur even after treatment. Doctors can stop it from recurring by causing the pleura to stick to one another (pleurodesis) or draining fluid using the use of a chest tube (peritoneal Mesothelioma). The most effective treatment plans combine these strategies.
Surgery
The mesothelioma type, its stage and other factors such as age will affect the treatment options. At the time of your initial assessment the doctor will decide which mesothelioma therapies are most suitable for you.
The surgeon will perform surgery to remove the largest mesothelioma imaginable. The surgeon may also perform other treatments during or following the surgery. Mesothelioma treatment options could include chemotherapy and radiation. Immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and palliative procedures can manage symptoms and improve quality of life for patients.
Extrapleural pneumonectomy is a sweeping surgery that some people with cancer of the pleural area undergo to remove the tumor as well as the lung (pleura) is a component of the diaphragm, and the sac surrounding the heart (pericardium). Another surgery that can be performed is pleurectomy/decortication (P/D). This procedure eliminates the pleura, however, it does not affect the lung. P/D is less invasive than EPP and has shown some success in extending the time to survival. Some cancer centers offer heated intraoperative chemotherapy to kill any remaining cancerous cells following surgery.
During the surgery, patients are put under anesthesia and given medicines to help them sleep or feel no pain. During this period, the medical staff will gather important information about your health including your blood pressure and heart rate.
After surgery the patient will be treated with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. Chemotherapy is used to prevent mesothelioma cell growth and also to kill any cells leftover after surgery. Several types of chemotherapy are used for mesothelioma, including doxorubicin (Adriamycin) along with cyclophosphamide and pemetrexed. These medications are usually administered by IV.
Radiation is a highly efficient treatment for mesothelioma as it utilizes high-energy beams to kill cancerous cells. Radiation can be delivered as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with other treatments. It can be used for any mesothelioma type however it is most likely to be helpful for cases that involve peritoneal or pericardial mesothelioma.
Some patients with mesothelioma experience recurrent tumors that come back after treatment. Recurrent mesothelioma could be found in the same spot as before or spread to other organs like the brain or liver. People with mesothelioma recurrently present may require additional treatments like targeted therapy or immunotherapy which can increase the chances of survival and reduce the chance of the tumor returning.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is one of the most effective treatments for mesothelioma. It involves injecting patients with medications that eliminate cancerous cells and stop their growth or spreading. The doctors treating mesothelioma can employ chemotherapy on its own or in combination with other treatments like radiation therapy or immune therapy.
The nature of the cancer and the stage of the disease will determine the best treatment plan for the patient. Doctors can prescribe a range of chemotherapy drugs, however pemetrexed or cisplatin are the most common. Pemetrexed kills mesothelioma tumours by targeting cells that produce the proteins cancer cells need to grow. Cisplatin is an anticancer drug which binds to mesothelioma cell DNA and causes them to die. The drugs can be administered intravenously or via mouth.
Doctors can administer intraoperative chemotherapy during a mesothelioma procedure. They do this by injecting chemotherapy drugs heated into the abdomen or chest cavity during surgery while the surgeon is working. This procedure is used to eliminate any small tumors that the surgeon cannot see following surgery.
Patients with mesothelioma can also undergo adjuvant chemotherapy following their surgeries. A majority of doctors wait until mesothelioma is gone before recommending this treatment. The reason for this is that surgical procedures to treat mesothelioma can be so invasive that a patient might not be healthy enough to undergo chemotherapy immediately following the operation.
If mesothelioma develops again the treatment will concentrate on controlling the cancer and relieving symptoms. Some patients will do everything to eliminate their cancer, whereas others may prefer to control it and live as pain-free as is possible. If a patient is suffering from mesothelioma that is recurrent, it is important to discuss this with their doctor and weigh the pros and cons of each choice. Patients may be interested in enrolling in a trial of new mesothelioma treatments. These trials can test new combinations of standard treatments or a different type of mesothelioma therapy. For instance certain studies have demonstrated that immunotherapy is an effective treatment for recurrent mesothelioma.
radiation treatment for mesothelioma uses high-energy rays or particles to kill cancerous cells. Mesothelioma doctors typically prescribe it after surgery or as a part of a multimodal plan for treatment. It is also used as a symptom-relieving treatment for symptoms such as breathlessness or pain. The newest types of radiation have better control, making it easier to target tumors, while avoiding nearby healthy tissue.
The type of mesothelioma and the location of it determine the treatment options that are most suitable for you. You can also speak with your doctor about treatments that are experimental such as immunotherapy. Clinical trials are research studies that test the safety and efficacy of new treatments or medications. These trials are conducted with patients who have volunteered to participate.
A mesothelioma expert can assist you choose the best clinical trial for you.
Surgery can reduce tumor size and reduce symptoms. However, it's not a cure for mesothelioma. It is possible that the cancer will recur or spread to other parts of the body. This is why mesothelioma patients are treated with a mix of therapies.
For pleural mesothelioma, surgical options include pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) and extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP). P/D removes the pleura, the thin membrane that runs between the chest wall and lungs. It is also able to remove visible tumors on the lung wall or chest. EPP is more extensive and is typically utilized for mesothelioma that is later in its stage. The procedure involves removing the entire lung and also the diaphragm, pleura and any visible tumors that are found on the chest wall.
The use of radiation can be a part of a the pleural mesothelioma surgery to kill any cancerous microscopic areas that weren't removed during the procedure. Adjuvant mesothelioma radiation therapy is what this is known as. It also helps to alleviate symptoms such as breathing difficulties or chest pain, as well as swallowing issues in mesothelioma peritoneal patients prior to undergoing a procedure known as cytoreduction and heated chemotherapy (HIPEC).
Radiation can have long-term consequences. Most commonly, they are fatigue and changes to the skin. In rare cases long-term lung damage could result in permanent breathing issues or esophageal narrowing. Before deciding to undergo radiation for treatment, you should discuss the potential risks with your doctor.
Immunotherapy
Cancer is caused by genetic mutations that trigger abnormal cells to multiply out of control. As the cells multiply, they develop into tumors that kill healthy tissue. As time passes, the tumors spread throughout the body, causing symptoms such pain, fatigue and coughing, as well as difficulty breathing. Malignant mesothelioma, a type of asbestos-related lung cancer, is formed in the mesothelium, a protective covering that surrounds organs of the patient.
When a doctor diagnoses mesothelioma they start with a physical exam and take a detailed history of your exposure to asbestos. They will also conduct medical tests, including blood tests and various types of scans. These scans provide a clear view of your body, and can reveal signs of mesothelioma, such as lung fluid, or cancerous tumors. X-rays, CT, PET, and MRI are frequently requested by doctors to conduct more advanced scans. In addition, doctors could perform a biopsy in order to confirm the diagnosis of mesothelioma and to ensure that the cancer is not spreading.
Doctors aren't able to cure most mesothelioma patients however, they can manage the disease by controlling it through chemotherapy and other treatments. The aim is to eliminate the most mesothelioma possible and reduce the chances that cancer will return.
For mesothelioma with advanced stages doctors may recommend procedures to stop the buildup of fluid inside the lungs (pleurodesis) or they may insert a tube into the chest for regular draining of any excess liquid (pleural effusion drainage). They may also try to stop the growth of tumors by creating the outer layer of the lungs adhere to the inner layer of the lung. (extrapleural pneumonectomy), or shrinking them by radiation therapy.
Immunotherapy is a revolutionary treatment that uses medications to stimulate your immune system to fight cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved these medications, including Keytruda and Opdivo to be used in clinical trials for mesothelioma. This treatment is promising and could lead to better outcomes in certain patients. The treatment can result in negative side effects, such as fatigue chills, fever, and fatigue. However, they are less severe than more aggressive treatments.