How Mesothelioma is Treated

Treatment of mesothelioma depends on many factors. These factors are mainly of patient related, like the stage of mesothelioma, the location of the mesothelioma cancer, general health status of the patient and also the age of the patient. In general like any other cancer mesothelioma has three options of treatment, which may be used alone or in combination one two or more options together. The standard treatment options of mesothelioma are surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Surgical option of treatment of mesothelioma:

Surgery is a commonly used treatment option of mesothelioma. Depending on the location of the cancer (mesothelioma), different surgical options are available. Your doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and with some of the normal tissue around it. If mesothelioma is of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung or a part of lung may be removed in an operation called pneumonectomy. Sometimes some part of diaphragm may also be removed.

Radiotherapy option of treatment of mesothelioma:

Radiotherapy may be used in combination with surgery and/or with chemotherapy. Radiotherapy involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink the tumor (mesothelioma in this case). Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the area of treatment. The source of radiation may be from a machine (external radiation) or from putting radioactive materials through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).

Chemotherapy option of mesothelioma treatment:

Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given intravenously.

Presently doctors are also studying the effectiveness of putting chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen (intra-cavity chemotherapy).