A. Mesothelioma Treatment
The conventional therapies are not
very successful for the mesothelioma treatment.
The survival time for the patients is only 6 -12 months.
The malignancy of the mesothelioma
is affected by many factors. One such thing is the long
latency period between disease development and exposure
to the asbestos.
B. Surgery
Surgery is one of
the treatments on mesothelioma. The
surgery can be performed alone or in combination with
post and pre operative adjuvant therapy. But the results
of the surgery attempted either alone or with post and
pre operative therapy is found to be disappointing because
the survival rate of the patients [five years] is less
than 10%. The most common surgery is pleurectomy.
Here the lining of the chest is completely removed.
Extra pleural pnemorectomy is not very common.
C. Radiation Therapy
Mesothelioma is highly
resistant to radiation therapy. But still this treatment
is attempted to reduce the sufferings that arise because
of mesothelioma growth. This
radiation therapy is applied chest drain insertion
site most commonly. This prevents the tumor growth along
the wall of the chest.
D. Chemotherapy
Pemetrexed is the drug that was approved
by the food and administration of United States of America
in the year 2004 for the treatment of pleural
malignant mesothelioma. Pemetrexed is administered
with cisplatin. In order to reduce the side effects
of the pemetrexed, folic acid is used.
E. Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is the other treatment
option for mesothelioma. Immunotherapy produces variable
results. Bacillus calmette- Guerin
is found to effective in boosting the immune response
for the cancer of the urinary bladder. But the same
therapy attempted for mesothelioma provides no relief
to the patients. Vitrolysis by LAK cells [followed by
interleukin- 2 activation] is effective in destroying
the mesothelioma cells.
But the biggest disadvantage here is
that the suffering of the patients because of the side
effects of this therapy. This treatment was really stopped
because of the very serious side effects of the interleukin-2
toxicity. The most common side effect is cachexia and
fever. Interferon alpha is really producing encouraging
results of late. There is nearly fifty percent reduction
in the tumor mass. The side effects are very, very less
in this therapy.
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