| Mesothelioma is touted as deadly because most | | | | |
| of the cases | | | | partially succesfull. This is because the |
| | | | patient recovers |
| are diagnosed when in advanced stage and | | | | |
| doctors have little | | | | partially after using drugs or combination |
| | | | of drugs (In fact |
| solace to offer by then. Still doctors try | | | | |
| to do their best | | | | the efficacy of this method increases, if |
| | | | combination of |
| to relieve the patients from severe pain of | | | | |
| mesothelioma | | | | drugs are used at the same time.) Some of |
| | | | these combinations |
| using advanced treatments.SurgeryBefore | | | | |
| considering surgery as one of the | | | | have proved successful and new drugs are |
| propositions for | | | | being developed for |
| | | | |
| the treatment of malignant cancer, the | | | | the treatment of this cancer.Radiation |
| health of the patient | | | | TherapyIn this method the tumor is killed by |
| | | | using radiation doses. |
| needs to be carefully evaluated. The tests | | | | |
| are performed to | | | | However, with the help of this procedure, |
| | | | killing the tumor |
| check whether the cancer has spread to other | | | | |
| parts of the | | | | cells is quite difficult. This is because of |
| | | | the fact that |
| body or not. Also evaluation of the | | | | |
| patient's lung and heart | | | | it is difficult to specifically locate the |
| | | | malignant cells. |
| functions is done. In case of the former, a | | | | |
| mesothelioma | | | | Also the heart, lungs and other organs may |
| | | | surround the |
| surgery cannot be performed. Both the heart | | | | |
| and lungs need | | | | same, and they are at the risk of getting |
| | | | damaged by the |
| to be properly functioning state for surgery | | | | |
| to take place.Surgery is of two types: | | | | radiation dosage. However lower doses of |
| aggressive surgery (long-term | | | | radiation can be |
| | | | |
| control) and palliative procedures (relief | | | | used to reduce the disease to a certain |
| of symptoms). | | | | extent.Dual TherapyBoth chemotherapy and |
| | | | radiation are used in conjunction |
| Let's define each of them | | | | |
| separately.Aggressive surgeryAggressive | | | | after the performance of the surgery. They |
| surgery involves removal of the lung, the | | | | both help in |
| pleura, | | | | |
| | | | killing any remaining tumor cells that were |
| the diaphragm and the pericardium by a | | | | not removed by |
| procedure, which is | | | | |
| | | | surgery and may also help in relieving |
| known as extra pleural pneumonectomy. The | | | | symptoms of the |
| intention to | | | | |
| | | | disease like chest pain.The treatment |
| follow this method is to physically remove | | | | methods, which are described above, are |
| as much of the | | | | direct |
| | | | |
| tumor as possible. It is in fact adopting a | | | | ways of treating a person suffering from |
| bold method to | | | | mesothelioma. |
| | | | |
| do away with the disease-hence the name is | | | | However doctors and researchers are always |
| "Aggressive | | | | on the lookout |
| | | | |
| surgery".This surgery is extremely | | | | for new ways to treat mesothelioma. The |
| complicated and involves high | | | | necessity for the |
| | | | |
| risk. This is because of the fact that there | | | | evolution of alternative ways to treat |
| are possible | | | | patients suffering |
| | | | |
| chances of death due to the same within a | | | | from mesothelioma arises because of the |
| month. Extra | | | | complex nature of |
| | | | |
| pleural pneumonectomy is therefore normally | | | | different types of cancers, and because |
| performed on | | | | patients respond |
| | | | |
| younger patients who are in good health and | | | | differently to various types of medical |
| are in a | | | | care. |
| | | | |
| position to tolerate the surgery.Palliative | | | | Some of them are as follows:Immunoagumentive |
| ProceduresPalliative procedures are normally | | | | Therapy (IAT)The goal of IAT is to strengthen |
| performed when the cancer | | | | the body's own immune |
| | | | |
| is in its advanced form. These procedures | | | | system. The same is done by balancing four |
| are performed to | | | | different |
| | | | |
| control the symptoms of mesothelioma rather | | | | proteins found in the blood.Intraoperative |
| than cure them. | | | | Photodynamic Therapy (IPT)This method of |
| | | | treatment is being used to cure early stages |
| Pleurectomy (also decortications) is the | | | | |
| process to | | | | of mesothelioma in the chest. IPT uses |
| | | | special drugs and |
| surgically remove the pleura. This method | | | | |
| reduces the pain | | | | light to kill cancer cells during surgery. A |
| | | | drug that makes |
| caused by the cancerous mass and may also | | | | |
| prevent the | | | | tumor cells more sensitive to light is |
| | | | injected into a vein |
| recurrence of pleural effusion (fluid | | | | |
| collection which | | | | several days before surgery. During surgery, |
| | | | a special light |
| causes tremendous breathlessness). For | | | | |
| patients suffering | | | | is used to locate the cancer.Gene |
| | | | TherapyThis is a unique method whereby the |
| from peritoneal mesothelioma, complete | | | | researchers either try |
| surgical removal of | | | | |
| | | | to improve the body's natural ability to |
| the entire tumor is not entirely possible. | | | | fight against the |
| In this case the | | | | |
| | | | diseases or alternatively make the cancer |
| surgery aims to extenuate the symptoms, such | | | | cells more |
| as ascites,ChemotherapyChemotherapy is the | | | | |
| method in which drugs are used to treat | | | | sensitive to other kinds of therapy.Did you |
| | | | know mesothelioma |
| mesothelioma. It has been observed that this | | | | |
| method is | | | | clinical symptoms are hard to detect? |