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How is Mesothelioma Treated?
Treatment for
mesothelioma depends on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease,
and the patient's age and general health. Standard treatment options include
surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are
combined.
Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may
remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around
it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an
operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle
below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.
Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of
high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy
affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a
machine (external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation
through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found
(internal radiation therapy).
Chemotherapy is the use of anti-cancer drugs
to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma
are given by injection into a vein (intravenous, or IV). Doctors are also
studying the effectiveness of putting chemotherapy directly into the chest or
abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy).
To relieve symptoms and control
pain, the doctor may use a needle or a thin tube to drain fluid that has built
up in the chest or abdomen. The procedure for removing fluid from the chest is
called thoracentesis. Removal of fluid from the abdomen is called paracentesis.
Drugs may be given through a tube in the chest to prevent more fluid from
accumulating. Radiation therapy and surgery may also be helpful in relieving
symptoms.
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