Although mesothelioma has no cure, the purpose of treatment(s) is to extend a patient’s life expectancy. However, not every patient may be eligible for such treatments.
The following are the most common treatments for mesothelioma patients to undergo:
Surgery
Surgery offers mesothelioma patients with the greatest chance of survival. Surgery can be used for diagnosis, removal of tumors, and/or palliative care for pain reduction. Patients with high health and limited spread of cancer are good candidates.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy utilized powerful drugs in order to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. More than 70 percent of mesothelioma patients are treated with chemotherapy.
Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy, which can be used at any stage, is generally used to ease pain patients experience from tumor growth. Local reoccurrence is also minimized when radiation therapy is combined with chemotherapy and surgery.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy, which is primarily used in clinical trials, is an experimental treatment. Its primary purpose is to boost the immune system in order to fight against the cancer.
Multimodal Therapy
Multimodal therapy is a combination of two or more therapies. This approach is suggested to improve survival rates, as shown by clinical trials.
HIPEC
Peritoneal mesothelioma patients are able to partake in HIPEC – a type of multimodal treatment. This process begins with surgery to remove as many tumors as possible, followed by a heated chemotherapy in attempt to destroy any remaining cancer cells in the abdominal cavity.
Palliative Treatments
Palliative treatments, which can be used for any mesothelioma patient, may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or HIPEC. The ultimate goal is to improve a patient’s quality of life and to reduce pains, rather than achieving curative care.
Clinical Trials and Emerging Treatments
Mesothelioma patients gain access to experimental therapies through clinical trials. Additionally, such trials aid in new treatment development by providing both medical and scientific information for researchers. Nonetheless, excellent medical care is provided to patient that undergo experimental clinical trials.
Alternative Treatments
Mesothelioma patients may benefit from herbal medicines, holistic healing, mind-body therapies, and additional complementary therapies.