Treatment for Mesothelioma
For mesothelioma is no curative treatment. In establishing the diagnosis, the disease is already so extensive that cure is no longer possible.
In the past, surgical treatment has been tried. These were very large operations with a high risk of death after surgery. At present, surgery is not seen as a real possibility of treatment.
The mesothelioma is not sensitive to radiotherapy. Moreover, the area concerned (the half chest) very large. Sometimes, radiation therapy given to try to counter the pain and to prevent the tumor through the insertion openings, so that attempts have been made to arrive at a diagnosis, there is growing.
Chemotherapy was until recently little or not effective in the treatment of mesothelioma. Recently, new drug pemetrexed (Alimta ® tradename) available, certainly when given together with a platinum-containing drug has a clear effect on the tumor show. The studies showed that approximately 40% of the patients, a reduction of the tumor occurs, and that the survival of the treated group of patients, non-spring is longer than 2-4 months without this combination treatment. The agent is directly into the blood vessel by means of an infusion, which runs for 10 minutes. Treatment is repeated every three weeks. More detailed information on the mode of action and side effects of the drug pemetrexed can be found on the website under cytostatics: click here.
Other modes of treatment, such as administration of cell-killing drugs directly between the lung membranes (intrapleural) and more advanced treatments with tumor fabrics (such as interferon, etc.) and genetic therapy appear to currently more side effects than effect on mesothelioma and are therefore not recommended ..
Or in the future, a combination of a variety of treatments after the other, such as surgery followed by treatment with cell-killing drugs and external irradiation, that will feed in the treatment of patients with a particular stage (degree of expansion) of the disease is currently in research. This form of treatment requires a very accurate determination of the extent of the mesothelioma to know who this combination therapy is eligible ..
