Doctors may recommend several different treatment options for mesothelioma patients. Common treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. For the most part, one treatment option is not used in isolation, as doctors often recommend a combination of therapies to patients.
For example, a patient who undergoes surgery to remove cancerous tissue and tumors may undergo chemotherapy and radiation afterward to attack any remaining cancerous cells. If a patient is a candidate for surgery, this is a common treatment regimen recommended by many doctors. Surgery is often recommended to patients diagnosed with mesothelioma in the early stages of development.
Chemotherapy is typically administered through an IV (intravenously). Medications are used to target and kill cancerous cells that divide rapidly. Unfortunately chemotherapy may also affect healthy cells such as those in the digestive tract and hair follicles. Patients are often concerned about the side effects of chemotherapy such as hair loss and nausea. Though chemotherapy does not cure mesothelioma, it can help control symptoms of the disease and increase the quality of life for patients.
Radiation is another common treatment used by mesothelioma patients to control cancerous cells. Radiation therapy is used to kill cancerous cells and control the growth of new cancer cells. Several types of radiation therapy exist, however in most cases, external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy are the radiation therapies used to treat mesothelioma.
Aside from the most common forms of treatment utilized by mesothelioma patients, experimental treatments have demonstrated success in clinical trials and are becoming more popular in the treatment of mesothelioma. Treatments such as photodynamic, gene and immunotherapy continue to give hope to mesothelioma patients internationally. Alternative therapies including acupuncture, massage and TENS therapy may also improve a patient’s quality of life and reduce symptoms of mesothelioma.
