While at present here is no known cure for mesothelioma, there are various treatment options for sufferers of mesothelioma. The most common treatment is surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. In addition to these common mesothelioma treatments, there are also some experimental treatments and medication that are being used in clinical trials. Thus far, a number of these clinical trials are exhibiting some encouraging results towards discovering a cure in the future.

Surgical Mesothelioma Treatment

Various surgical procedures can be performed in relation to mesothelioma treatment. In the diagnostic phase, mild surgery is required to confirm whether or not mesothelioma cancer exists and where the cancer cells are located. Surgeons typically make non-invasive incisions and insert different types of medical instruments to observe areas inside the body and remove small tissue samples for further testing, called a biopsy procedure.

Certain palliative surgical treatments are performed for mesothelioma patients that, while not attempting to eliminate the disease, attempt to ease some of the troublesome and painful symptoms of mesothelioma cancer. These palliative surgical treatments typically involve insertion of needles or tubes to allow excess fluid buildup to be drained and provide some relief for patients. In certain instances, a talc-like substance is also administered in the mesothelium that minimizes further buildup of fluid in the future.

More invasive surgical procedures can also performed in hopes of eliminating mesothelioma cancer. One invasive procedure includes a biopsy procedure that removes larger amounts of suspected cancerous tissue in order to prevent further spread of the cancer. If tumors are present, surgery would remove those affected tissue, as well. In severe cases of pleural mesothelioma, certain lobes of the lungs may be removed or even an entire lung itself is extracted. Lastly, the lining itself is sometimes removed in a procedure called extrapleural pneumonectomy.

Mesothelioma Radiation Treatment

Mesothelioma treatment by radiation is used to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors in order to restrict their ability to spread throughout the body. Radiation typically follows surgical procedure, but in some cases may be performed on its own to relieve symptoms of mesothelioma cancer. However, radiation alone is usually not powerful enough to allow for more than periodic reprieve from symptomatic manifestations.

External radiation is a type of mesothelioma treatment whereby energy waves or particles are delivered by a machine to specific areas or tumors inside the body. Internal radiation is a less commonly used method, whereby a small amount of radioactive material is put inside a small vessel that is then embedded in the body near the site of the mesothelioma cancer. Systemic radiation is another type of mesothelioma treatment where a radioactive substance is taken orally or injected into the body.

Mesothelioma Chemotherapy Treatment

Treatment of mesothelioma by chemotherapy involve using drugs to destroy malignant cancer cells through bodily injections. It can be used in combination with radiation treatment, as well as in combination with surgery. For instance, chemotherapy is often used to shrink the size of a tumor prior to surgery or to eliminate remaining cancer cells post-surgery. Chemotheraphy can also be used as an independently without other procedures in cases where surgery is not possible or required. Chemotherapy is perhaps the most promising form of treatment and has been shown to improve survival in various clinical trials. Some of the drugs used in chemotherapy are Alitma, Cisplatin, Gemcitabine, Doxorubicin, Paclitaxel and Pemetrexed.

Mesothelioma Immunotherapy Treatment

Immunotherapy is a type of mesothelioma treatment whereby the patient’s immune system is induced to destroy cancerous cells. This can be accomplished through various means. In one instance, mesothelioma cancer cells are extracted, manipulated and turned into a quasi-vaccine that is injected back into the patient to allow the immune system to recognize the cancer as a foreign substance that it should attack. Other immunotherapy treatment includes simply stimulating and boosting the immune system’s response to the mesothelioma cancer.