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Malignant Mesothelioma Treatments |
A previous exposure to Asbestos poses a serious threat to human health as Mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a disease in which cancerous cells appear in Mesothelium, which is a protective lining that covers the internal organs of the body. Before treatment of Malignant Mesothelioma commences, the important step is diagnosis of the Malignancy. The in-stealth nature of Mesothelioma is responsible for the late diagnosis, and poses a great threat to the life of patient.
What are the various types of treatment in Mesothelioma?
- Surgery is done on a Mesothelioma patient either for curing the disease or to improve the quality of the patient's life by alleviating the symptoms. Through surgery, doctors attempt to remove the cancer and some of the surrounding tissue for stabilizing the disease.
- Radiation therapy is for the patient who is too weak to bear the surgery. This therapy comes with the fewest side effects possible in Mesothelioma. External beam radiation is targeted at the affected parts of the body and this provides relief from pain, breathing difficulties and also minimizes difficulty in swallowing. Brachytherapy radiation fixes radioactive material directly inside the abdomen or lung.
- Chemotherapy does not cure but provides relief in Mesothelioma. This therapy can be offered as an injection or in pill form. For Mesothelioma, the drugs are given intraperitoneally (into the abdominal cavity) and intrapleurally (into the chest cavity). Two drugs combined can give the best results, and at present, the preferred combination of drugs is: Cisplatin coupled with Alimta (pemetrexed). Some patients, however, find the side effects of chemotherapy too severe and thus refrain from getting this treatment.
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