Tragically there is at the moment no cure for mesothelioma . . . however there are as slowly expanding range of treatments that might help while a cure is being sought.
Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and combined multiple types of therapy (multimodality). As mesothelioma is a rare cancer it is important that treatment is sought at centers with expertise.
Surgery Some procedures treat the symptoms while others try to remove the tumor
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Adjuvant therapy Post surgery chemotherapy and/or radiation
Chemotherapy Drugs that impede the cancers' capacity to divide or reproduce. Can prevent cancer spreading; slow cancer growth; shrink tumors; destroy post-surgery tumor cells; relieve symptoms, such as pain
Radiation therapy High-energy rays damage or kill cells by inhibiting their growth and division
Palliative Therapies Aims to maintain the maximum quality of life - physical, psychological, social and spiritual - for patients and their families
AlimtaŽ Reports suggest that Alimta (combined with cisplatin) shows improved symptoms (less pain and/or shortness of breath)
Photodynamic therapy A combination of a photoactive drug and laser light which target cancer cells while limiting damage to nearby healthy tissue
Immunotherapy Stimulates your natural immune defenses to stop the cancer spreading
Gene Therapy Corrects defective genes by replacing, removing, inserting, or altering them to prevent or treat disease
Brachytherapy A radioactive implant (made by weaving radioactive seeds into a flexible absorbable mesh) can be stitched to areas that cannot be operated on
Pain Management Pain management techniques are constantly improving and now include implanting devices that deliver drugs direct to the central nervous system. Where oral or intravenous pain drugs fail a special pain-killing mixture is delivered inside the spinal cords dural membrane
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West Virginia