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Mesothelioma Treatments: What Are My Options?
With new clinical trials being introduced on a
regular basis, there are a variety of treatments being
used on mesothelioma. The treatment used is dependant
upon a variety of factors, including the extent of the
disease, the age and medical history of the patient, and
the location and type of the
mesothelioma.
Clinical research to treat malignant mesothelioma is very
active and although no treatment has yet proved entirely
successful, there exist a range of treatments available to
individuals diagnosed with the disease.
There are three types of standard treatments used to
treat malignant mesothelioma which include: surgery,
radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.
Surgery
Surgery for malignant mesothelioma is divided into a
number of sub-classes, which are specially designed to limit
the disease for individuals with particular strains of the
disease. Extrapleural pneumonectomy is a severe form of
surgery in which the entire lung and a portion of the lining
of the chest, the diaphragm, and some or the entire sac
which surrounds the heart is removed. Wide local excision is
a form of surgery which targets and removes the cancer and a
limited amount of the healthy tissue surrounding the
cancerous region. Pleurectomy and decortication removes part
of the covering of the lungs, as well as the lining of the
chest and portions of the outside covering of the lungs. The
surgical procedure pleurodesis is a distinct technique
insofar as it employs a blend of chemicals and/or drugs to
create an intentional scar between the layers of the pleura.
Post surgery, the space created by the scar must be drained,
using either a catheter or chest tube, and is then filled
with a chemical which inhibits the accumulation of fluid in
the pleura cavity.
Radiation
The second primary medical technique used to fight the
development of malignant mesothelioma is radiation.
Radiation therapy, as applied to malignant mesothelioma uses
the same basic technology as other forms of medical
radiation insofar as the technique employs high energy
x-rays to kill cancer cells. The process is divided into two
broad categories: External radiation therapy is a technique
in which a machine sends radiation in a targeted stream at a
certain portion of the body, and in so doing it kills the
cancerous cells in its purview. Internal radiation therapy,
by contrast, uses not an external machine, but rather
needles, seeds and catheters to place radioactive substance
directly on or near the cancer. While the precise method of
implementation will of course depend upon the type and stage
of the illness, what is constant within this category is
that the goal is to get the radiation placed directly onto
the cancerous area and in so doing provide a more
concentrated and directed dosage.
Chemotherapy
The third standard malignant mesothelioma treatment is
Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs which target cancer
cells and stop them from dividing and thus prevent their
growth. In systemic chemotherapy, the drug can be taken by
mouth or injected, but either way the goal is to have it
reach cancer cells by means of the body’s own blood
circulation system. In regional chemotherapy, the drug is
placed directly onto the target area. And finally,
combination chemotherapy involves the use of two or more
antic ancer drugs which can be administered either orally or
through injection. Malignant mesothelioma is a difficult
disease for anyone to bear, however, educating oneself as to
the options available is an important step for making the
process more manageable.
Article Author - Robert Linebaugh
Robert Linebaugh writes about health issues, and
focuses on mesothelioma. Learn more at http://www.justmeso.com.
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