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