The treatment of the condition mesothelioma follows three standard, accepted procedures: surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. There are many different ways these three mesothelioma treatments can be enacted. Different physicians may suggest combining more than one of the three. In some cases, the physician may present the case for each mode of treatment and leave the final decision of the course of action up to the patient. This is why the patient needs to understand the basic points of each of the three treatment plans.
Mesothelioma Surgery
Surgery is frequently employed to remove cancer or the surrounding cancerous tissue, and it can also follow the process of removing both. Ultimately, surgery will be based upon how far the cancer has spread. In many instances, a minimally invasive procedure will be employed to reduce problems associated with the cancer. Such minor procedures are an alternative to a complete surgical operation and can help improve the quality of the patient’s life immensely. Thoracentesis is a common example of this. Such a procedure entails inserting a needle into the chest cavity and draining problematic fluid that may have collected in the chest. It is not uncommon for the doctor to inject antibiotics or talc into the chest cavity to prevent the potential of the fluid returning.
mesotheliomaSuccess Rate
Success rates are high for fluid-draining procedures such as thoracentesis. One of the best results of such procedures would be improved breathing. Fluid causes compression in the lungs and shortness of breath. Eliminating such fluid restores the breathing process. However, while this procedure certainly helps improve quality of life, it does not eliminate or cure the patient of the actual cancer.
The two main reasons that mesothelioma surgery would be performed are palliative care and curative procedures. Palliative surgery deals mainly with reversing the pain and discomfort that tumors yield. As the name implies, curative surgery is intended to remove a localized mesothelioma tumor and the problems it causes. Unfortunately, the success rate for curative surgery is low because the cancer is rarely detected before it can spread.
Mesothelioma Radiation
Radiation therapy employs X-rays which target the cancerous cells and completely destroy them. Radiation therapy does not entail internal exposure of any kind. Rather, the radiation is “sprayed” outside the body through an external beam. This beam directly focuses on the cancerous cells and can have a positive effect on reversing the presence of the cancer. Radiation is highly popular as a form of mesothelioma treatment since it can seriously reverse cancer cells.
In many ways, the process is no different than having “traditional” X-rays taken. Obviously, the employment of radiation to treat cancer will require far more treatment sessions that merely taking photos. The length of time each procedure requires may be a bit lengthy as well.
A more specialized form of radiation treatment is Brachytherapy. This procedure revolves around exposing the internal abdomen or chest cavity with radiation to kill off the actual cancer cells. Such a procedure is commonly employed when the patient may not be physically able to handle surgery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is considered the most well-known of cancer treatments. It entails using oral or injected drugs to kill off the cancer cells. With mesothelioma, the drugs have been known to be directly injected into the chest cavity or the abdominal region. Whether or not chemotherapy is the right process to take will depend upon the stage of the mesothelioma. In some instances, chemotherapy can be the primary treatment while in other cases it is used as a supplement to other treatments.
Physical Therapy
All forms of cancer treatment will require physical therapy or rehab. This is because the body will need to be strengthened once again after the serious impact of the surgery.
References:
Mayo Clinic
National Cancer Institute
Mesothelioma Surgery
Surgery is frequently employed to remove cancer or the surrounding cancerous tissue, and it can also follow the process of removing both. Ultimately, surgery will be based upon how far the cancer has spread. In many instances, a minimally invasive procedure will be employed to reduce problems associated with the cancer. Such minor procedures are an alternative to a complete surgical operation and can help improve the quality of the patient’s life immensely. Thoracentesis is a common example of this. Such a procedure entails inserting a needle into the chest cavity and draining problematic fluid that may have collected in the chest. It is not uncommon for the doctor to inject antibiotics or talc into the chest cavity to prevent the potential of the fluid returning.
mesotheliomaSuccess Rate
Success rates are high for fluid-draining procedures such as thoracentesis. One of the best results of such procedures would be improved breathing. Fluid causes compression in the lungs and shortness of breath. Eliminating such fluid restores the breathing process. However, while this procedure certainly helps improve quality of life, it does not eliminate or cure the patient of the actual cancer.
The two main reasons that mesothelioma surgery would be performed are palliative care and curative procedures. Palliative surgery deals mainly with reversing the pain and discomfort that tumors yield. As the name implies, curative surgery is intended to remove a localized mesothelioma tumor and the problems it causes. Unfortunately, the success rate for curative surgery is low because the cancer is rarely detected before it can spread.
Mesothelioma Radiation
Radiation therapy employs X-rays which target the cancerous cells and completely destroy them. Radiation therapy does not entail internal exposure of any kind. Rather, the radiation is “sprayed” outside the body through an external beam. This beam directly focuses on the cancerous cells and can have a positive effect on reversing the presence of the cancer. Radiation is highly popular as a form of mesothelioma treatment since it can seriously reverse cancer cells.
In many ways, the process is no different than having “traditional” X-rays taken. Obviously, the employment of radiation to treat cancer will require far more treatment sessions that merely taking photos. The length of time each procedure requires may be a bit lengthy as well.
A more specialized form of radiation treatment is Brachytherapy. This procedure revolves around exposing the internal abdomen or chest cavity with radiation to kill off the actual cancer cells. Such a procedure is commonly employed when the patient may not be physically able to handle surgery.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is considered the most well-known of cancer treatments. It entails using oral or injected drugs to kill off the cancer cells. With mesothelioma, the drugs have been known to be directly injected into the chest cavity or the abdominal region. Whether or not chemotherapy is the right process to take will depend upon the stage of the mesothelioma. In some instances, chemotherapy can be the primary treatment while in other cases it is used as a supplement to other treatments.
Physical Therapy
All forms of cancer treatment will require physical therapy or rehab. This is because the body will need to be strengthened once again after the serious impact of the surgery.
References:
Mayo Clinic
National Cancer Institute
