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People diagnosed with this disease are often told the expected survival rate is only eight to twelve months. However, specialists in treating malignant mesothelioma at the leading cancer centers often have better statistics. The treatment program for mesothelioma depends on many factors, including: the stage of the cancer, where the cancer is, how far the cancer has spread, how the cancer cells look under the microscope and the patient’s age and desires. There are three traditional kinds of treatment for patients with Mesothelioma: Surgery
back to top There are several types of surgery used in treating mesothelioma. A pleurectomy/decortication is the removal of part of the chest or abdominal lining and some of the tissue around it. Pleurectomy is most often considered a palliative procedure to relieve chest wall pain and to prevent recurring pleural effusions. While extensive debulking of the tumor is possible, resection is often incomplete along the diaphragmatic and mediastinal pleura. Depending on how far the cancer has spread, a lung also may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. In an extrapleural pneumonectomy, the lung is removed along with the lining and diaphragm (the muscle that helps you breathe) on the affected side. In this surgery, the lining around the heart is also removed. Dr. David Sugarbaker is a pioneer in this type of surgery. Chemotherapyback to top Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be administered by pill, or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle. Chemotherapeutic agents can be administered either systemically (through the blood stream) or intrapleurally (in the pleural cavity). When it is administered intrapleurally, the treatment is localized at the site of the tumor. These drugs are generally very toxic and you should discuss their use very carefully with your physician. More about chemotherapy for mesothelioma and the types of questions you should ask your doctor can be found here. Radiation Therapyback to top High-energy x-rays are used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy) or from putting materials that produce radiation (radioisotopes) through thin plastic tubes in the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy). If fluid has collected in the chest or abdomen, your doctor may drain the fluid out of your body by putting in a needle into the chest or abdomen and use gentle suction to remove the fluid. If fluid is removed from the chest, this is called thoracentesis. If fluid is removed from the abdomen, this is called paracentesis. Your doctor may also put drugs through a tube into the chest to prevent more fluid from accumulating.
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