Treatments for Mesothelioma
Your Consultant will advise you of a number of treatment options available to you
once diagnosed with the asbestos related illness, Mesothelioma. The best one for you will depend upon many
factors such as:
- age
- progression of the disease
- your general health, and
- your feelings on the best treatment for you
You should discuss each mesothelioma treatment option fully with your treating Consultant before making
a decision.
3 options exist for treating mesothelioma patients:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiotherapy
Surgery
Pleurectomy (dicortication)
This procedure involves removing the lining of the lung. Its advantages include
a quicker recovery time: which is useful for those patients whose health would prevent
them from undergoing the other available surgical procedure. The disadvantages include
increased risk of recurrence of the disease as the procedure is unable to remove
all traces of the disease.
Extrapleural Pneumonectomy
This procedure involves removing the entire affected lung, the pleura (lining of
the lung) and the pericardium surrounding the heart and the diaphragm. The hospital
will only offer this treatment to patients who demonstrate good heart and lung function.
Its advantage is that it aims at removing a larger proportion of the disease during
surgery. The main disadvantage is that it is a very radical procedure and more risk
is involved along with a longer recovery time following surgery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy treatment uses anti-cancer drugs, usually injected into the bloodstream.
These drugs act to prevent the cancer cells from multiplying. Typically, to increase
the effectiveness they will use a combination of drugs. Depending on the type of
drugs used to treat you, treatment times can vary from every week or every 2 or
3 weeks.
Chemotherapy treatment slows down the growth and spread of the disease and acts
to control symptoms. The most common drugs used include Gemcitabine (Gemzar), Carboplatin
(Paraplatin) and Cisplatin (Platinol). Recently, a new anti-cancer drug called Pemetrexed
Disodium or Alimta has proven effective in controlling symptoms as well as extending
the survival time of mesothelioma patients by, on average, one third.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy treatment is sometimes used to slow down growth and spread of the cancer
and also to control the symptoms of the disease. It involves using high energy x-rays
to kill cancer cells and shrink tumours. Radiotherapy has recently proven effective
in preventing seeding which can cause recurrence of the tumour at biopsy and chest
fluid drainage sites of the patient.
Mesothelioma Treatment Study
A recent study using a three-fold approach to treating mesothelioma has been deemed effective. By combining Pleurectomy, Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy treatments the study's results have demonstrated positive survival results and morbidity and warrants additional testing.
The future - Medical advances in treating Mesothelioma
A new centre has recently opened in Sydney's Concord Hospital, which is to become home to the world's 1st asbestos institute. The Bernie Banton Centre, named after an Australian social justice campaigner who died from an asbestos related illness in November 2007, is the world's largest facility dedicated to providing early diagnosis and treatment for victims. The Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has pledged $5 million funding to the $12 million centre.
Meanwhile, in the USA, researchers in the University of Pennsylvania and the National Cancer Institute have generated altered immune cells that have shrunk and in some cases, eradicated tumours in mice. Clinical trials are being developed to investigate this approach in patients with mesothelioma.
These developments help to provide a glimmer of hope to the growing number of sufferers worldwide.
Mesothelioma Compensation
If you have been diagnosed or are receiving treatment for Mesothelioma, please call our asbestos illness team today on 0800 011 1166 or use our free, no obligation,
online enquiry form to register for a call back as you and your family may be entitled to compensation.
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