Treatments for Mesothelioma Cancer

 

Mesothelioma treatment is determined on an individual basis

Mesothelioma is a cancer that can arise three to five decades after breathing in asbestos fibers into the lungs, usually from exposure in the workplace.
¹ According to the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance
² only 3,000 people a year are diagnosed with this disease, making the research studies for effective treatment difficult. Because of the limited information on effective therapy, the goals of mesothelioma cancer treatment are to reduce the symptoms and increase lifespan, though clinical trials are also being conducted to develop better options.

Factors that determine mesothelioma treatment

Cancer specialists treat mesothelioma based on several factors:

• The severity of the disease
• The stage (or progress) of the cancer
• The size and location of the tumor
• The person’s age and general health
• The type of mesothelioma cancer
• Whether it is the first time the person has had the disease

Standard treatment options for mesothelioma

The standard treatment options for mesothelioma cancer, also known as malignant mesothelioma, are surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Radiation and chemotherapy use high energy X-rays and chemicals to kill cancer cells. External radiation uses a machine positioned outside of the body to direct radiation at the tumor, whereas internal radiation uses radioactive substances placed near the cancer inside the body. Similarly, chemotherapy can be given in a number of ways — by injection into various parts of the body or orally.
Surgical options for mesothelioma lung cancer are:

• Removal of the cancerous tissue and some healthy tissue around it — called wide local excision
• Removal of the tumor from the lung, chest lining, and/or diaphragm in order to remove the intact tumor without damaging the structures — called pleurectomy and decortication
• Removal of a whole lung, part of the lining of the chest cavity, and/or part of the lining around the heart, depending on how far the cancer has spread — called extrapleural pneumonectomy
• Drainage of the space between the chest wall and the lungs and the use of chemicals to scar the lining and prevent additional fluid buildup — called pleurodesis

Advances in treating mesothelioma cancer

Each cancer center has their own preferred methods of treating mesothelioma. The larger and more research-oriented centers also offer new options for treating mesothelioma lung cancer.
One new treatment option for mesothelioma lung cancer is the use of targeted agents. This therapy uses drugs that target the tumor cells specifically, based on their DNA or other identifying characteristic. A similar approach is the use of biologics, which trigger the person’s immune system to fight the tumor cells.
Some cancer treatment centers offer targeted chemotherapy that involves heating the anticancer drugs before treatment, called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. The drugs are used to flush out the abdomen to remove cancer cells.

Take part in a clinical trial

A clinical trial is sometimes the best treatment option for a patient with advanced or recurrent mesothelioma. Many cancer centers have their own databases of the trials running at their facilities, such as MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, but the U.S. government also has a searchable database of clinical trials throughout the country at ClinicalTrials.gov.
References linked in the text
1. National Institutes of Health, Medline Plus. Mesothelioma. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mesothelioma.html Accessed January 12, 2013
2. Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. Mesothelioma Treatment. http://www.mesothelioma.com/treatment/ Accessed January 14, 2013
3. National Cancer Institute. Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment: General Information about Malignant Mesothelioma. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malignantmesothelioma/patient/page1 Accessed January 15, 2013
4. National Cancer Institute. Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment: Treatment Options Overview. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malignantmesothelioma/patient/page4 Accessed January 15, 2013
5. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Mesothelioma Treatment. http://www.mdanderson.org/patient-and-cancer-information/cancer-information/cancer-types/mesothelioma/treatment/index.html Accessed January 15, 2013