Treating Mesothelioma

Once the stage of the Mesothelioma has been determined as well as an assessment of any other underlying medical conditions the patient may have and the patient's overall body and organ health, the doctor will explore the various treatment options. The treatments and methods used for treating Mesothelioma can be divided into two types: those that are known as “traditional” Mesothelioma treatments and “new” Mesothelioma treatments. Traditional Mesothelioma treatments include: surgery (pleurectomy/decortication or P/D, extrapleural pneumonectomy, pleurodesis, peritonectomy), chemotherapy (anti-cancer drugs, which are usually injected into the veins), and radiation therapy or radiotherapy.

New Mesothelioma treatments include gene therapy, photodynamic therapy or PDT, immunotherapy, intensity modulated radiation therapy or IMRT, and the development of new chemotherapy agents. In addition to these new (or radical) Mesothelioma treatments, there are several other radical treatments available including angiogenesis therapies, antineoplaston therapy, Mesothelioma clinical trials, interferon and interleukin therapy, and radiofrequency ablation. A wide variety of alternative Mesothelioma treatments also exist such as herbal products, special diets, homeopathic medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, high dose vitamin C, laetrile (amygdalin, extracted from fruit pits), and Eastern medicines, that can complement other treatment options.

Radiation therapy or radiotherapy involves the use of high-energy radiation rays to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells, but it only affect the cancer cells in the treated are. There are two types of radiotherapy including external radiation and internal radiation therapy. External radiation is generated through a machine and internal radiation therapy is delivered directly to the source of the cancer by placing radioactive materials into the body through small tubes. In many cases a trimodal approach is employed, which means several treatments are combined for the best outcomes, for a better chance at long-term survival, and/or a better quality of life. However, long term survival is rare.