Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma treatment can entail a number of therapies intended to kill cancerous cells, prevent the tumor from spreading or alleviate the symptoms of the disease. Each patient’s situation is unique and will shape their treatment plan. Factors such as the stage and form of mesothelioma, treatment history, patient’s location, ability to travel and financial situation are all important to consider when seeking treatment

Types of Mesothelioma Treatment

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation

If a patient’s diagnosis and health indicates that their response to curative treatment may be positive, their doctor may develop a course of treatment to remove the tumor(s) and attempt to prevent metastasis throughout the body. If the patient is dealing with a late-stage cancer, the treatment is more likely to be palliative in nature, addressing the symptoms while improving the patient’s quality of life. The following treatment options may be either palliative or curative, depending on the patient’s case:
Learn more about treatment for different mesothelioma types

Surgery

Facts about Surgery

• Primary Goal: Complete removal of the tumor
• More effective when used with other therapies
• Surgical biopsy is the most reliable way to diagnose mesothelioma

Surgery is one of the most common treatments for mesothelioma. Patients whose cancer was diagnosed before it spread beyond the lymph nodes may be eligible for curative surgery that removes the tumors. Depending upon the patient’s diagnosis and overall health, mesothelioma surgeries can be either curative or palliative, and may fall somewhere in between if surgery efforts are effective. Mesothelioma surgery is commonly followed by other treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation in an attempt to kill any remaining cancer cells.
Learn more about mesothelioma surgery

Chemotherapy

Facts about Chemotherapy:

• Primary Goal: To kill cancer cells and shrink tumors
• Can harm healthy cells as well as cancerous cells
• Combinations of two or more drugs can be more effective

Chemotherapy has shown to be the most effective and least invasive form of treatment to extend life expectancy. Depending upon the location of the cancer, some patients may be eligible for heated chemotherapy, a treatment commonly used for cases of peritoneal mesothelioma. Cisplatin, the most commonly used chemotherapy drug for mesothelioma, is frequently used in conjunction with pemetrexed to achieve the most advantageous results in reducing tumors.
Here is a list of some of the chemotherapy drugs a mesothelioma patient may be prescribed:

• Cisplatin
• Gemcitabine
• Alitma

• Navelbine
• Onconase
• Carboplatin

These drugs may be used on their own or as part of a combination of drugs for more aggressive treatment.
Learn more about chemotherapy for mesothelioma

Radiation Therapy

Facts about Radiation Therapy:

• Primary Goal: Kill cancer cells without harming the rest of the body
• Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) delivers a precise, higher dose of radiation
• Can cause toxicity in other organs

Radiation therapy directly applies radiation to the cancerous locations. This is through either sealed or unsealed source radiation. Patients of all stages are eligible to receive radiation therapy, as it can be used in conjunction with other treatments to reduce tumor growth and ease symptoms.