Mesothelioma Treatments
A variety of treatment options exist for patients with mesothelioma. Although no cure exists for the disease, effective mesothelioma treatment centered on extending patient lifespan to the maximum and protecting his or her quality of life for as long as possible does exist. The traditional options for stemming the growth of cancerous cells are radiation treatments, surgery and chemotherapy.
The traditional options for stemming the growth of cancerous cells are radiation treatments, surgery and chemotherapy.
Therapeutic exposure of the patient to ionizing radiation is effective at easing pain and reducing shortness of breath, but therapeutic ionizing radiation can only be used in limited amounts to avoid creating significant radiation injury to the patient.
Chemotherapy, whether based upon pills, intravenous drugs or medicines injected directly into the pleural mesothelioma, can also disrupt the growth of tumors
Among the types of surgery employed for pleural mesothelioma patients are pleurectomy/decortication (removal of diseased pleural mesothelium) and pneumonectomy (lung removal). Similar but less effective surgical operations are performed on those with peritoneal and pericardial mesothelioma as well.
New treatments for mesothelioma are constantly under research and development, and techniques such as light therapy and experimental drugs offer much hope in this regard. Properly employed, these mesothelioma treatments can substantially prolong the life of the mesothelioma patient.