Treatment for Mesothelioma
Your Consultant will advise you of a number of treatment options available to you
once diagnosed with Mesothelioma. The best treatment 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 option fully with your treating Consultant before making
a decision.
3 treatment options exist for 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 amin 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.
Call our helpline today on 0800 011 1166 or use our free, no obligation,
online enquiry form to register for a call back or call us directly on 0844 858 3600.
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