Mesothelioma: Traditional Mesothelioma Treatment Options

Surgery (physical removal of the cancer)
Surgery involves the physical removal or other operative treatment of the cancer. There are several different surgeries available for mesothelioma patients, some of which are used palliatively to treat symptoms and some of which are considered radical surgery, such as removal of one of the lungs, and used with curative intent. The physician will decide upon the nature and type of surgery to be performed based on his or her overall treatment strategy and the information determined during the patients workup.
Chemotherapy (using drugs to fight the cancer)
Chemotherapy uses drugs and other chemical agents to kill cancer cells. It is referred to as systemic treatment because the drug is introduced into the patient’s bloodstream and travels throughout the body killing cancer cells. The introduction of pemetrexed-based chemotherapy has improved the efficacy of chemotherapy treatment for mesothelioma patients.
Radiation Therapy (using radiation to kill cancer cells)
Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. For mesothelioma treatments, radiation can be used as part of a multimodal treatment protocol or it can be used in a palliative manner to reduce the pain associated with the disease.

Mesothelioma