Common Mesothelioma Treatments

This form of treatment uses drugs to destroy the cancer cells. They generally focus on stopping the cancer cells’ ability to continue to grow and divide. Chemotherapy is administered by a medical oncologist, which is a specialist in treating cancer through medication. Systemic chemotherapy goes into the bloodstream in order to destroy cancer cells throughout the body. The side effects of this medicinal treatment are dependent on the individual and the dosage of the drug. The side effects include increased risk of infection, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, loss of appetite, fatigue and diarrhea. Once treatment is finished these side effects generally go away.

Chemotherapy, also known as systemic therapy, is administered either orally or by infusion to kill any cancer cells that are in the body, and there are a variety of medications. Although it is not curative it has proven to help increase the survival rate. Chemotherapy is also used to reduce pain and improve the patient’s quality of life.

Radiation therapy is treatment that is used in combination with surgery and chemotherapy. Sometimes it is used alone to kill cancerous cells, manage tumors and it help to stop cancer from spreading along the path of the incision.

Recent data shows that surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation together helps to kill cancer cells. Although oncologists have been using radiation treatment to help treat cancer for many years, technology has made it a more refined treatment. Radiation directed at tumors work by stunting the growth of tumors without some of the other serious side effects caused by chemotherapy.

Another great description of Radiation Therapy:

Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or x-rays to destroy the mesothelioma cancer cells. The specialist that provides this treatment for cancer is called a radiation oncologist. External-beam radiation is the most common form of radiation treatment. In this mesothelioma treatment the radiation is given from outside of the body with a machine. The side effects to this treatment include mild skin reactions, upset stomach, loose bowel movements, and tiredness. These are usually temporary side effects.