Mesothelioma Treatment
The diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma is not good. Patients who receive treatment in the early stages of the cancer have a better prognosis, but survival rates are still very low. The age and health status of the patient also affect the prognosis.
Mesothelioma treatments fall into two main categorie – curative treatments and palliative treatments. Curative treatment is to try and cure a patient's mesothelioma by removing or killing all cancer cells in the affected tissue area. Palliative treatments are not curative in nature; they are performed to reduce pain and discomfort and to improve a patient's quality of life.
There are several different treatment methods for the cancer. The most common type of surgery for patients with pleural mesothelioma is a pleurectomy/decortication. This surgery involves removing the lining of the chest. A less common surgery is called an extrapleural pneumonectomy, which involves the removal of the lung, the lining of the inside chest wall, the hemi–diaphragm and the pericardium. Reducing the size of the tumors through surgeries is a key step in extending mesothelioma patient’s lives.
For patients in whom the mesothelioma has not metastasized, radiation treatments can be performed. Radiation is often performed post–operatively as combined treatments to kill additional cancer cells. The entire hemithorax is treated with radiation. Radiotherapy is also commonly performed to the sites of the chest drain insertion to prevent the growth of the tumor along the chest wall track. Radiotherapy may also be performed as a palliative treatment to relieve symptoms from tumor growth.
Chemotherapy has shown to be the most effective form of treatment for patients with mesothelioma. It is often performed in conjunction with radiotherapy. Studies have shown that patients who receive chemotherapy extend their lives by several months on a statistical basis.
A procedure known as intraoperative interperitoneal chemotherapy is another treatment method. This technique involves the the injection of high concentrations of selected heated drugs into abdominal and pelvic surfaces. The heating of the chemotherapy treatment increases the penetration of the drugs into affected tissues. This procedure can also be used in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.