Mesothelioma Radiation Chemotherapy, Response Rates With Selected Chemotherapy Regimens For Malignant Download Table

Patients respond to treatments differently so it is important for doctors to adjust treatments according to how the mesothelioma reacts.

Mesothelioma symptoms the sudden killer. As mesothelioma treatments continue to improve every year patients are living longer. The treatment options for malignant mesothelioma are surgery chemotherapy and radiation. Chemo is often not recommended for patients in poor health but advanced age by itself is not a barrier to getting it.

The treatment cannot cure malignant mesothelioma but it can be effective when used in a combination treatment plan. In systemic therapy chemo is injected into the blood through a vein. Radiation therapy for mesothelioma uses beams of radiation like x rays to target cancer cells and damage their dna.

How chemo treats mesothelioma how chemotherapy treats mesothelioma. High energy rays target tumors and kill cancer cells often as part of a multi modal treatment approach before or after chemotherapy and surgery. Radiation is used in a similar way and both strategies may be used before and after a surgery or in some combination that best suits the needs of the patient.

When cancer cell dna is severely damaged the cells die and can no longer replicate helping to prevent metastasis or cancer growthit can take days or weeks for the cells to die and they continue to die for weeks or months. Radiation may reduce the risk of local recurrences of mesothelioma providing some patients with an extended life expectancy after treatment. Chemotherapy is also used as a curative treatment to help improve prognoses and extend lifespans.

Again with this approach it is most often combined with surgery and radiation therapy for optimal results. Mesothelioma radiation therapy is one of three main treatment strategies used to battle this aggressive cancer. If you have mesothelioma and your doctor suggests chemotherapy it helps to know what to expect.

Although chemotherapy can be effective to get rid of cancer cells it is not always easy. Get a free mesothelioma guide. If surgery is not an option then mesothelioma chemotherapy drugs can help reduce the size of the tumor and thereby mitigate some of the pain.

Treatment options for the management of malignant mesothelioma include surgery chemotherapy 2 3 radiation and multimodality treatment. Chemo cycles generally last about 3 to 4 weeks. There are 2 main ways chemo can be given to treat mesothelioma.

Chemotherapy uses chemicals to kill cancer cells and prevent them from multiplying. Mesothelioma treatment is prescribed and performed by specialized doctors at cancer centers. These treatments are not a cure but can help extend your lifespan reduce your symptoms and make you more comfortable.

As a result chemotherapy can shrink tumors and limit new tumor growth. Patients rely on different types and combinations of treatments from traditional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation to emerging clinical trials that may lead to a cure in the future.