Treating Mesothelioma - Answers on Conventional & Alternative Mesothelioma Treatments
Mesothelioma, a type of cancer affecting the mesothelium, the protective lining that surrounds the lungs and abdomen, has been linked to asbestos exposure in many individuals. Although it may take up to 50 years to develop following this exposure, it can still create severe symptoms, and requires treatment as soon as it has been identified in order for people to have the best chances of survival.
Several types of treatment exist for mesothelioma, with some being more efficacious than others. The major types of cancer treatment, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, may all be utilized. Like other cancers, a combination of therapies is usually utilized to remove or kill as many cancerous cells as possible.
Surgery is the least common treatment option for this form of cancer, due to poor results on its own. It is somewhat more effective when combined with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, however. Surgical procedures may include a pleurectomy, or a removal of the protective lining of the lungs. In other cases, the hemi-diaphragm or lining around the abdomen may be removed.
Chemotherapy refers to drug treatments aimed at killing cancer cells. This therapy has been proven to be the most effective in terms of increasing survival times, particularly with regard to the use of cisplatin and pemetrexed, along with vitamin supplements to decrease the negative effects of this therapy. Other medications, like carboplatin or gemcitabine, may be utilized if a person cannot tolerate cisplatin or pemetrexed, although these drugs may carry a greater incidence of side effects, and lower rates of survival.
Radiation therapy is usually given after surgery as an additional treatment. This treatment may take place at the same time as chemotherapy is given, and involves irradiating the thorax area. If a chest drain is being used to remove fluid from a patient, radiation is applied to the site of the drain to prevent the spread of the cancer in that area. Mesothelioma does not respond to a great extent to radiation used on its own, but radiation has been successful in reducing side effects from some aspects of the cancer, such as blood vessel blockage.
Immunotherapy, or attacking mesothelioma cells with the body's immune system, has shown some promising results, but this treatment is still very much in its experimental phase. The use of the chemical interleukin-2 allowed the body's white blood cells to attack tumors, but caused such high rates of side effects that this approach is not often used, or even tested.
If you or a loved one has developed mesothelioma following asbestos exposure, you will need to take steps to handle the medical expenses that treatment incurs. Fill out the form above to receive more information about mesothelioma treatments and your legal rights in this situation. The process of cancer treatment can be difficult, but by consulting an experienced mesothelioma attorney, you can have the peace of mind of knowing your rights will be taken care of.
