Mesothelioma in the Lungs - Treatment
Many people with mesothelioma in the lungs experience symptoms such as coughing, difficulty breathing, weight loss and chest pain that is located under the rib cage. Doctors diagnose this type of cancer by taking an individual's medical history, doing a lung exam and ordering tests.
Treatment options are based on the stage and type of mesothelioma. Doctors look at the patient's health as well as their preferences.
Chemotherapy
Mesothelioma develops when asbestos fibers are introduced into the lungs and cause damage over time. Asbestos is made up of minerals in a group that contain microscopic fibers. They were extensively used in the construction industry before being banned in 1999.
Doctors treat mesothelioma by using radiation, surgery and chemotherapy to try to kill cancerous cells or prevent them from expanding. The type of treatment depends on the type of mesothelioma as well as the location where it has spread. Doctors usually consult a multidisciplinary team to determine the best treatment for you.
If pleural mesothelioma starts in the tissue that covers the lungs (the pleura) it can be treated by removing the tumor and some of the surrounding tissue. This procedure is referred to as a pleurectomy or decortication. Doctors may also use the less invasive surgical procedure known as a Thoracostomy. It involves making an opening in your chest wall to drain fluid.
A pleural mesothelioma which has spread to the lining of the diaphragm and part of the lung is more difficult to treat than a mesothelioma that is confined to the lung. The cancer has more places where it can expand and grow. A surgeon may opt for an operation that is more aggressive to remove as much of the mesothelioma as possible. This is a procedure called an extrapleural pneumonectomy.
Chemotherapy is the most popular mesothelioma treatment and works by killing cancer cells or stopping them from dividing. It is administered orally, through an intravenous route or directly into the bloodstream. Doctors often combine chemotherapy with other types of treatments, including immunotherapy and radiation therapy.
Patients who receive chemotherapy could suffer from side effects such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and an increased risk of contracting infections. Doctors may prescribe vitamin B12 as well as folic acid, and pain medication to avoid this.
Some doctors may opt for cryotherapy prior to performing a more invasive operation to shrink mesothelioma tumours. They could also inject tumours a medication which targets the genetics of mesothelioma cancer cells and increases the likelihood of them dying. Another experimental treatment is gene therapy, which changes the cells in your body to ensure that they attack mesothelioma tumours.
Radiation
Mesothelioma is a cancerous growth that affects the thin layer that forms the lining of many internal organs, including the lung, is a very rare condition. Pleural mesothelioma occurs in the lung linings and peritoneal cancer can be found in the abdominal lining. Patients with mesothelioma usually undergo palliative treatment to ease symptoms such as fatigue and breathing problems.
In some cases doctors are able to remove mesothelioma tumors by surgery. To slow the progression of mesothelioma tumors, doctors can combine chemotherapy and radiation. Chemotherapy is a treatment for cancer that circulate through the bloodstream to kill cancer cells. It is usually administered before major surgery in order to shrink mesothelioma tumors and reduce symptoms.
Radiation therapy is used to eliminate any mesothelioma tumors which remain following chemotherapy or surgery. External beam radiation therapy is the most popular method of treatment, however it can also be administered via brachytherapy and intraoperative radiation. Doctors can administer these treatments by placing an apparatus placed on the chest or abdomen or by inserting a catheter into the pleural space.
Specialized surgeries are able to treat pleural effusions. These are fluid accumulations in the pleura. Doctors can drain the fluids through the procedure known as paracentesis or video-assisted surgery for a pleurodesis (talc seal) using medical-grade talc.
A pleural biopsy can be utilized by doctors to detect mesothelioma, and to determine its stage. The procedure involves taking a small sample of the mesothelioma from inside the lung to test for cancer cells. It is typically done by a surgeon who specializes in thoracic surgery.
Researchers have developed new drugs to treat mesothelioma. Some are inhaled, and travel throughout the body to reach mesothelioma tumors. Some are injected directly into the peritoneum or pleura to destroy cancerous cells. These are referred to as targeted therapies and they offer greater control over the progression of mesothelioma than traditional chemotherapy or radiation. People with mesothelioma should discuss these options with their specialists to determine the best treatment for them. Doctors can provide patients with information about the potential side effects and drug interactions of each treatment option. This is known as shared decision-making.
Surgery
When doctors treat mesothelioma in the lungs, they try to ease symptoms and prolong life for as long as possible. This includes relieving breathing difficulties and lessening the pressure on the chest caused by the accumulation of fluids in the pleura. The procedure is often combined with chemotherapy and radiation.
epithelioid mesothelioma treatment is an aggressive asbestos-related cancer that attacks the cells that make up the thin tissue that lines the lungs, abdomen and other organs. It could take several years after exposure to asbestos for mesothelioma grow, so it is essential to seek treatment early enough.
A physical examination and medical history can help identify mesothelioma. Your doctor will inquire about asbestos exposure and if you are experiencing symptoms like breathing problems or an unproven loss of weight. Also, blood tests are conducted to assess your general health and the function of your liver and kidneys.
Imaging tests such as Xrays and CT scans can reveal changes in the lungs. They can aid your mesothelioma specialist detect tumors and determine whether they've spread. Other tests may include a PET scan, a positron emission (PET) scan or an MRI. These can show where mesothelioma has spread and if it is leading to inflammation.
Patients with pleural mesothelioma can have pleural fluids drained in order to relieve the breathlessness that is caused by the accumulation of fluid in the lungs. The procedure of thoracentesis involves inserting a needle into the chest wall. The fluid is tested for mesothelioma by taking a sample. Other surgical procedures for improving breathing include VATS talc pleurodesis. This procedure involves removing the pleural space and injecting it with medical-grade Talcum powder. The area then closes and stops it from filling up with fluid once more.
Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment which uses anticancer drugs is used to kill mesothelioma tumor cells and stop their growth. The drug combination most commonly used to treat pleural mesothelioma is pemetrexed using cisplatin or carboplatin. For peritoneal mesothelioma, the heated chemotherapy known as cytoreduction, also known as hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is effective.
Radiation therapy can be used to kill mesothelioma cancer cells that have been left behind from other treatment. It is delivered using external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) or with the use of brachytherapy. This involves placing a radioactive device inside the tumor to deliver higher doses of radiation.
Palliative care
Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that develops when asbestos fibres get into the lungs and irritate tissue. The cancerous cells multiply and spread over time. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to any form of asbestos, but most cases occur after being exposed to construction materials containing microscopic asbestos fibres.
Mesothelioma can often not be completely removed by surgery. This is due to the nature or advanced stage of the cancer. However, doctors can manage the symptoms and tumors through palliative therapy. This is designed to keep patients comfortable and feeling as well as preventing. It can be accompanied by chest pain, coughing and difficulty breathing. Treatments include eliminating the lungs of fluid to help improve breathing and taking strong painkillers.
If the mesothelioma is restricted to the pleura or peritoneum doctors can remove the tumor surgically. They may also opt for a combination of chemotherapy with radiation therapy, as well as multimodal treatment to reduce the mesothelioma that remains after surgery.
Doctors typically prescribe cisplatin and pemetrexed to treat pleural mesothelioma. They may also prescribe a targeted drug, bevacizumab. It is administered over three week periods, called treatment cycles. Patients can be afflicted by side effects, such as fatigue, nausea and vomiting, a greater chance of contracting an infection, low blood count and hair loss.
Doctors can treat recurrent asbestosis with immunotherapy or a combination of. Immunotherapy enhances the immune system of patients which aids in fighting cancer. It has proven effective for some patients suffering from recurrent mesothelioma.
Other mesothelioma treatments include photodynamic therapy and targeted therapy. Photodynamic therapy makes use of a specific light to activate the body's natural immune system which kills mesothelioma cells. The targeted therapy utilizes drugs to block the growth of cancerous cells. Mesothelioma specialists work with you to determine the most effective treatment plan for your specific cancer and its symptoms. They will determine if you are eligible for a study that studies mesothelioma treatment that is new. These trials determine if the new treatment, or a combination thereof is more effective than conventional mesothelioma treatments.