Mesothelioma: treatments for a terminal illness

Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer. In most cases, the prognosis at the time of diagnosis is very bad. Patients have generally no longer than 12 months after a positive mesothelioma diagnosis life. Thus, the treatment options for an aggressive and fast-developing disease are very limited. Mesothelioma is generally palliative treatment. In other words, the goal of treatment is the patient about the pain with mesothelioma simply to relieve symptoms. There is no hope for a cure the patient of the disease for several reasons:

(i) diagnosis occurs very late in the development of the disease. At the time of that diagnosis is made, there is no hope for the patient.

(Ii) the development of the disease is very fast and affects major organs such as heart and lungs.

Surgery

Surgery or Cytoreduction is the abolition of all or almost all visible tumor. In cases of mesothelioma, this will be a more effective removal of cancer cells, usually with chemotherapy combined. Some operations intended to cure the patients, particularly if the cancer is still located. In most other cases, surgery can have only a palliative effect, as the cancerous mass is reduced. The following types of surgery used in mesothelioma treatment:

(i) Pleurodesis: Inserting an irritant in the pleural space causes inflammation. This closes the pleural space and prevents fluid (pleural effusion) to build. Most symptoms of pleural mesothelioma can be reduced with this method for a while. A Thoracoscope is used for this.

(Ii) Pleurectomy or Peritonectomy: Removal of part of the chest lining or stomach lining, depending on where the cancer is).

(Iii) Enthülsen: Removal of whole or in part the diaphragm for an organ.

(iv) pulmonary resection: removal of the entire affected Lung (in most cases, developed on only one lung mesothelioma so removal of that lung to cure the patients can be if the cancer has not spread).

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy encompasses the administration of drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy in the treatment of mesothelioma have the following objectives:

(i) shrinks tumors before surgery (neo adjuvant chemotherapy).

(Ii) destruction of cancer cells after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy).

(Iii) increase the effectiveness of radiotherapy (immunotherapy).

Chemotherapy is used also in cases where the cancer cells of the original site of the occurrence, have spread. It is also used if the patient is not a candidate for surgery.

The most used drug for mesothelioma Pemetrexed is an inhibitor of numerous proteins are required for DNA synthesis and cell replication.

Chemotherapy has different side effects, because cancer cells destroy the healthy cells are also damaged.

Radiation therapy

This refers to the treatment of cancer using penetrating beams of energy. In the case of mesothelioma, radiotherapy in combination with the operation in an attempt to heal or severity of symptoms of taxes can be used. An example of radiation therapy is the intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) which uses images to target cancer cells directly with limited effects computer-generated to the surrounding tissues.

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