Treatments of Mesothelioma

As with most types of cancer, there is no known cure for mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a disease that lies dormant for decades before pouncing on the patient with sudden symptoms or with a diagnosis before symptoms even begin.There are a variety of treatment methods available to people who have mesothelioma and the treatment you receive largely depends on the type of mesothelioma you have and how far it has spread. In most cases the cancer has spread and advanced so far upon diagnosis that all doctors can do is keep the patient comfortable rather than working toward a full removal of the tumors.

Active Symptom Control for Mesothelioma treatment

When a patient presents with mesothelioma and it is widespread (which it usually is), doctors typically seek to control the symptoms and treat the disease as much as can be done in advanced cases. The ‘active symptom control’ method of handling mesothelioma includes:

Your Team – you will be assigned a team of doctors that have a variety of specialties related to mesothelioma who will give you all the information you need about combating the disease and a support system to guide you through the process.

Your team will include chest surgeons, nursing staff, oncologists (cancer doctors) with mesothelioma experience, radiologists (who analyze x-rays), pathologists (they can describe the type of cancer and advancement) and symptom control specialists who advise on drug and therapy treatments. You will likely also have a staff of counselors, social workers and physical therapists available wherever necessary.

Information Reviews – you will be given all the information you need and have all the questions you have answered about drug and therapy treatments. Your team will go over all aspects of the drugs you may be given and the treatments that are available.

Many people fear treatment because they know little about how it works, what side effects can be expected and what drugs will be given to counter any side effects. These reviews will let you know the potential benefits and problems associated with the treatment you receive and help you to decide which you think is the best route for your own treatment. You will likely feel much more comfortable about the entire process when you are well informed which is the ultimate purpose of information reviews.

In many cases, people who have mesothelioma have reached an advanced stage that responds to little treatment. For this type of patient, the doctors will discuss less about treatment with the aim of reduction of the cancer and more about treatments that make the remaining time bearable for the terminal patient. All aspects are discussed with the doctors and nurses on the team.

Consent – this is one of the most important aspects of the active symptom control process. You are given control over the way your cancer is treated. The doctors will explain all aspects of any treatments available to you for your type of mesothelioma and allow you time to review the information. You decide which treatment you think is best and give your formal permission to pursue the course.

No part of the treatment will be given to you without your consent and all information will be explained before the start of any segment of the treatment from therapies to drug treatments. The team has to be sure you understand all parts before they begin treatments and will often include family members and friends in the discussion to be sure the process and possible outcomes are clear.

Treatments of Mesothelioma

Since there is no known cure for mesothelioma, most of the treatments available are intended to control the symptoms, reduce pain and extend the expected life span. Treatments include:

Surgery – since mesothelioma affects the lining of the body cavities, one effective treatment involves the removal of affected sections of the mesothelium to remove the tumor(s). In case of widespread or large tumors, a section of organ will be removed from the patient. This option is available only to patients who are not in advanced stages of the disease.

Chemotherapy – chemotherapy drugs are injected directly into the affected cavity to reduce the tumors and rate of spread of the disease. This treatment can be used on its own or in conjunction with surgery.

Radiation Therapy – the cancer cells are targeted and infused with radiation to kill the cancer cells and reduce the rate of spread. It can also be used to control symptoms like shortness of breath and pain. This can also be used on its own or in conjunction with surgery.

Clinical Trials – various new treatments and experimental drugs are offered to mesothelioma patients who are interested in trying out new medicine or contributing to research in cancer treatments and a possible cure.