How is Mesothelioma Treated?
Mesothelioma patients experience various symptoms based on where the tumors form. The symptoms tend to appear slowly and are often mistaken for common illnesses such as the flu or pneumonia.
Doctors diagnose mesothelioma by using tests for imaging and blood tests. They also flush out any fluid build-up around the lungs with the procedure known as thoracentesis.
Surgery
Surgeons remove mesothelioma tumors when they are able to reduce symptoms and improve a patient's overall quality of life. Surgery can also help doctors better determine if a patient has mesothelioma or to detect smaller tumors. Mesothelioma surgeons are trained to remove affected tissue without damaging healthy organs, tissues or nerves.
The options for mesothelioma surgery differ based on the type of cancer and the stage. A physician will consider the patient's health, age and other factors when deciding the most appropriate surgical strategy.
Surgery for mesothelioma includes pleurectomy, pleurodesis and even extrapleural pneumonectomy. Each mesothelioma treatment option has its own risk and benefits. A mesothelioma specialist can give you information on the various options and suggest which surgical procedure is best for you.
A pleurectomy and decortication (P/D) mesothelioma procedure is a less invasive procedure than an extrapleural pneumonectomy or EPP. In P/D, surgeons eliminate the lung's lining, as well as any visible tumors. However, they do not remove the diaphragm and lung muscle. This is a fantastic mesothelioma procedure for patients who wish to preserve their health and avoid the complications that come with the removal of the diaphragm muscle or both lung.
P/D surgery is often performed in conjunction with hyperthermic intra-thoracic chemotherapies, which adds heated cancer fighting medicines to a solution of saltwater and delivers directly into the chest cavity. This allows patients to receive multiple treatments faster and spend less time in the hospital.
Pleural mesothelioma often causes an accumulation of fluid in the lungs, causing an effusion in the pleura. This can lead to chest pain and breathing problems. A doctor can drain this fluid by the minimally invasive procedure known as a thoracentesis, during which the needle is placed into the chest to take the fluid.
A pyeloplasty procedure is a different surgical option for treating mesothelioma of the pleural region. In the course of the procedure, doctors insert tubes into the abdomen to allow fluid to be drained regularly. This will ease symptoms such as nausea, fever, and abdominal pain. Once the fluid accumulation has been reduced it is possible to remove the tube.
Chemotherapy
The kind of treatment you receive depends on a number of factors, including the stage of mesothelioma (the extent of it) as well as whether your tumor is believed by doctors to be curable can be surgically removed, and your general health. You may also be able to participate in a clinical trial to try a new drug or treatment combination.
The most commonly used treatment is chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. Mesothelioma symptoms are usually relieved by these treatments, however they cannot cure you of the disease.
The medicines used to treat mesothelioma are made to stop cancer cells from multiplying and kill them. They are typically administered intravenously or by injection into the vein. Patients receive them in cycles. Each cycle is followed by a time of rest to give the body to heal. Pemetrexed, cisplatin, and other chemo drugs are the most frequently used to treat mesothelioma.
Before surgery, chemo can be given to shrink tumors and make it less invasive. Neoadjuvant treatment is what this is called. After surgery, it's also used to kill tiny cancerous cells which are not visible to the eye. This is known as adjuvant therapy.
Radiation therapy can be used to treat pleural mesothelioma and it can be administered in a variety of ways. Doctors can utilize proton or photon traditional radiation. They may also employ intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to limit the damage to healthy tissues and increase the doses.
For peritoneal mesothelioma doctors can administer the chemotherapy drug combination of pemetrexed and Cisplatin via an intravenous line through the abdomen. They can also administer it via injecting it into the peritoneal cavity via an instrument known as catheter.
The side effects may be mild or severe However, they can be managed by medication and support services. The severity of side effects can vary. It is important to report all symptoms to your healthcare team. A recent study revealed that women suffer more side effects from mesothelioma treatments than men. Researchers don't yet know why. Researchers speculate that this may be because women tend to seek medical care more often when they are sick and tell their doctor what symptoms they are experiencing.
Radiation Therapy
Treatments for mesothelioma are aimed at reducing symptoms and improving quality-of-life, but often they are not able to cure the condition. It is crucial to discuss your goals with your healthcare provider before treatment starts. Some patients are determined to do everything they can to increase their chances of a cure. However, others prefer a treatment plan that allows them to feel as relaxed as possible in their remaining time.
Surgery is a standard component of mesothelioma treatment. Doctors remove cancerous tissue to alleviate symptoms and prolong the duration of the duration of. There are three kinds of mesothelioma surgery:
Pleurectomy/Decortication (P/D) removes the pleura, or lining around the lungs. This procedure also removes any visible tumours in the chest cavity. Extrapleural Pneumonectomy removes the entire diaphragm and lungs.
Radiation therapy utilizes x-ray beams to kill cells of mesothelioma. The procedure is noninvasive and non-stressful for the patient. Doctors can utilize a method called Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) that is a method where the radiation beams are altered to target cancerous cells more effectively, without affecting healthy tissue.
While mesothelioma has not been treated with radiation alone however it could help shrink the size of tumors prior to surgery or kill remaining cancer cells that weren't removed during an operation. It can also be used to alleviate pain and discomfort for patients suffering from advanced cancer.
Mesothelioma is a rapidly growing cancer, so it responds better to radiation than cells that are slower growing. Radiation causes DNA damage to cancerous cells and kills them over the course of days or weeks. A doctor can adjust the duration of a radiation session to accommodate each patient's unique requirements.
Even with the best treatment options, side effects are typical of most cancer therapies. Fatigue, weight loss and nausea are a few of the most common side-effects. However, many of these are manageable and controlled by medications.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy drugs increase the body's defenses to fight cancer cells. They are usually given as intravenous infusions (IV) and can be paired with other treatments. Certain studies show that immunotherapy can improve survival rates for patients with pleural mesothelioma when combined with radiation or chemotherapy.
Mesothelioma doctors can tell whether you suffer from the disease through physical examinations and ordering imaging tests, such as X-rays and CT scans. They may also want to conduct a biopsy, which is where they will remove a small portion of tissue to test for lab tests. The results of your biopsy as well as other tests will help your doctor plan the treatment.
The majority of doctors treat mesothelioma based to the area of the tumor and whether it has spread. Your goal may be to eliminate all the cancer or to reduce symptoms and extend life. Your doctor will design the treatment plan which could include surgery, chemo and radiation therapy. These treatment options are typically used in conjunction by doctors to create multimodal plans.
Surgery for mesothelioma may remove cancerous tissue, shrink tumors, and ease symptoms. Not everyone with mesothelioma is capable of undergoing surgery. Certain patients with mesothelioma of the peritoneal region or pleural tumor have scarring that prevents surgeons from accessing cancerous tissue. For these patients targeted therapy or immunotherapy are the most effective treatment options.
Targeted therapy limits a cancer's growth by stripping it of oxygen or slowing the process of cell division. Avastin, also known as bevacizumab is a form of targeted treatment that is used to treat mesothelioma. It is administered by IV infusion once every few weeks.
Mesothelioma Immunotherapy assists your immune system to find and eliminate mesothelioma cancerous cells. It works by blocking the proteins that hinder your immune system and stop it from being able to recognize mesothelioma. Two examples of mesothelioma immunotherapy are pembrolizumab and nivolumab.
The majority of mesothelioma types aren't curable, but treatments can help patients live longer and improve their quality of life. Talk to your mesothelioma specialist about the pros and negatives of each treatment. Your care team should also be aware of your goals.