Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment - Mesothelioma Treatment
Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment Information
Mesothelioma treatment options have been unable to eradicate malignant mesothelioma cancer cells or slow the growth of the disease. Mesothelioma treatment options are split into two categories: traditional mesothelioma treatment options and new mesothelioma treatment options.
Traditional mesothelioma treatment options are the same as those used to treat most other cancer types and include:
- Surgery: the physical removal of cancerous tissue for diagnostic or curative purposes.
- Chemotherapy: the treatment of malignancies through the implementation of anti-cancer drugs.
- Radiation therapy: the treatment of malignancies through the implementation of high energy radiation waves.
Traditional mesothelioma treatments are often used in conjunction with one-another in an effort to target cancer cells in a more aggressive and thorough manner. For example, mesothelioma patients are often administered chemotherapy treatments for several months prior to surgery so as to slow tumor metastasis (spreading) and increase the chances of surgical success. Postoperative radiation therapy can be administered for several months in an attempt to kill any lingering cancer cells. This type of three-pronged treatment is expected to yield the best results.
Traditional mesothelioma treatment options have been unable to successfully combat the disease; this has led to the research and development of new treatment modalities through which better results might be had. Some of the newer mesothelioma treatment options include:
- New chemotherapy drugs
- Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT): the treatment of malignancies through the implementation of highly targeted high energy waves. IMRT treatment limits the amount of healthy tissue affected by the application of radiation.
- Photodynamic therapy (PDT): the treatment of malignancies through the implementation of lasers or light used in conjunction with light sensitive drugs to target and destroy cancer cells.
- Gene therapy: the treatment of malignancies at the genetic level. Gene therapy alters cancer-causing genes by replacing them with normal ones.
- Immunotherapy: the treatment of malignancies by enhancement of the body’s natural immunities. Immunotherapy is also called biological therapy.
Thus far, new mesothelioma treatments have been no more successful than traditional methods; however, researchers remain optimistic that a mesothelioma treatment breakthrough is on the horizon.
Mesothelioma Diagnosis
The most common presenting symptom of mesothelioma is the chronic chest pain that results from a buildup of fluid inside the lung cavity (pleura); this is called pleural effusion. Pleural effusion can be detected using an x-ray or CT scan, though it is often diagnosed incorrectly as viral pneumonia. In order to provide a definitive mesothelioma diagnosis, a type of diagnostic surgery called a biopsy is required. During a biopsy, a surgeon will remove a section of suspect tissue to be examined by a histopathologist. Histopathological examination of the tissue allows for the disease to be verified, typed and staged.
Types of Mesothelioma
The three types of mesothelioma are categorized in accordance with the section of mesothelial tissue that they affect:
- Pleural mesothelioma affects the pleura (lung cavity).
- Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the peritoneum (abdominal cavity).
- Pericardial mesothelioma affects the pericardium (heart sac).
Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of malignant mesothelioma. Although the carcinogenic mineral was regulated under section 112 of the Clean Air Act in 1970, there are 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of malignant mesothelioma diagnosed each year in the United States alone. This can be attributed to the fact that mesothelioma is a latent disease that can take as long as 40 years to become symptomatic. The latency allows the disease to develop to an advanced and virtually untreatable stage, resulting in an average post mesothelioma diagnosis survival time of one to two years.