Mesothelioma Treatments

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently Alimta (pemetrexed disodium) for use in combination with cisplatin for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. It is the first drug approved for this condition.

Mesothelioma Treatment included surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or a combination of the three. Malignant mesothelioma is difficult to treat, however, as they can quickly spread to adjacent organs. MesotheliomaTreatment is most successful when the disease is diagnosed at an early stage. A staging system used to determine how advanced the case.

In stage 1, the disease is spread only as far as the pleura. In this phase studies are performed to ensure that the cancer has not spread, and if the lungs and heart are functioning well check. The patient is young and healthy, aggressive surgery can be attempted. This is high-risk surgery and involves the removal of the breast, lung, Diaphragm and pericardium. Radiation or chemotherapy after surgery is often performed to eliminate any remaining tumor cells. In heated intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy, surgery is through the direct administration of a chemotherapy agent followed, heated by between 40 and 48 ° C, in the abdomen. This can increase the penetration of the active substances in tissues. In addition, the damage produced by heat, more cancer cells than normal cells.

In the second stage of> Mesothelioma cancer has reached the wall of the chest. The third stage, it has affected the diaphragm. In the fourth stage, there are signs of metastases spread through the bloodstream. If carried out during this operation, it is generally only for the relief of symptoms. A needle can be inserted into the chest, drain the fluid, relieving breathlessness and pain. Talc may be injected into the pleural space, stop accumulating fluid. Or the pleura can be removed surgically to alleviatethe pain. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy can also be used to relieve the symptoms.

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