Effective Treatment for Mesothelioma Cancer
There is no cure for mesothelioma, but treatments are available to slow its spread and reduce symptoms.
Receiving a mesothelioma cancer diagnosis is difficult. Because the disease has such an aggressive malignancy, the discussion of treatment with one’s primary oncologist, family members, and loved ones is important. Nearly all mesothelioma patients have treatment options – be they curative or palliative that can extend survival, alleviate pain, and increase quality of life.
Each mesothelioma case is considered individually and there is no singular prescribed roadmap for the management of malignant mesothelioma. What’s best for each individual patient will depend on any number of factors. Diagnostic procedures such as x-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and biopsies will be used to determine these factors and these tests will assist your primary care physician and/or oncologist in determining the best treatment for the individual and their particular circumstances.
Mesothelioma Treatment Options
Cancer treatment usually focuses upon destroying malignant cells and preserving healthy ones. This can be accomplished in a number of ways. At the present, patients will typically utilize three primary mechanisms for mesothelioma treatment. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy – or some combination of the three – are considered the most effective for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma.
Setting up any type of treatment may involve seeing a variety of doctors, including an oncologist (cancer specialist), pulmonologist (lung specialist), or radiologist. Patience is sometimes necessary to determine the exact malignancy variety and location, but knowing these factors will undoubtedly assist the oncologist in prescribing the best possible method of mesothelioma treatment.
1. American Cancer Society: Detailed Guide: Malignant Mesothelioma Chemotherapy
2. American Cancer Society: Detailed Guide: Malignant Mesothelioma Radiation Therapy
3. American Cancer Society: Detailed Guide: Malignant Mesothelioma Surgery
4. Catalano, A., et al. “Experimental Therapy of Malignant Mesothelioma: New Perspectives from Ant-Angiogenic Treatments” Pub Med. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology. 2004 May;(2):101-9.
5. https://www.maacenter.org/treatment/
