Mesothelioma treatment options vary according to the age and over-all health of the patient, and the extent of the disease. Treatment options are often determined by the intensity of damage caused by the tumor. There are three staging systems currently in use for pleural mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma is not staged.
There are a number of treatment options available to mesothelioma patients. The treatments can be roughly categorized into traditional or conventional treatment, alternative methods, new treatment approaches and miscellaneous treatment. Nine out of ten cancer patients will find relief by using a combination of medications.
Traditional treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Age, contributing health problems, or advanced stage of tumor may make aggressive treatment impossible. In such conditions, alternative system is used. These specific treatments are not generally used or approved by medical doctors. New treatment approaches are research studies used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are safe and effective.
Tri-modality therapy combines surgery with radiation and chemotherapy. Photodynamic therapy is a highly experimental treatment using a drug that causes cells to become light sensitive. Immunotherapy, hemotherapy, intra-pleural interferon gamma therapy are some of the miscellaneous therapies. Gene therapy is an important tool under research. Almita is a newly approved drug. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is another technique that allows for radiation doses to be delivered to very complex shapes or to tumors with nearby normal structures.
Alternative medicinal systems like homeopathy have developed certain drugs which improve the immune system of the body to counter mesothelioma. Specific diet supplements and metabolic therapy are also recommended. Complementary methods like sticking to a vegetarian diet, exercise, vitamins, herbal remedies, or stress management can sometimes help a mesothelioma patient.
Treatment options for physical pain accompanying mesothelioma vary. Palliative care is a specialized form of care that alleviates pain and other symptoms. The type of pain treatment, using drugs, is called pharmacological therapy. Non-pharmacological therapies, those that do not rely primarily on medication to achieve effect, include therapeutic exercise and cognitive behavioral techniques such as deep breathing and muscle relaxation. Other alternative approaches include acupuncture and massage therapy.
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Radical Mesothelioma Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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The challenge posed by mesothelioma is very high and doctors and researchers are on the look out for new options of treatment. Radical mesothelioma treatments, also referred as experimental treatment, are new advancements in the treatment of mesothelioma. Sometimes it is used along with traditional...
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Alternative Mesothelioma Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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People are on the lookout for alternative mesothelioma treatment due to the complex nature and deadliness of mesothelioma. Not only patients, but researchers and doctors are trying to find out new ways to treat mesothelioma. ‘Alternative’ refers to the use of different methods from the...
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New Mesothelioma Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Several new mesothelioma treatments are being developed. Researches mostly revolve around developing new treatments or improving upon the traditional treatments. Hopes are high for mesothelioma patients as new chemotherapy agents and combinations of agents are giving improved results. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new mesothelioma...
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An Introduction To Mesothelioma Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Conventional therapies are of little use in Mesothelioma Treatment. The survival time after diagnosis is around 6 to 12 months. The spread of malignant cells to the underlying tissue and other organs in the pleural cavity, the pleural cavity encouraging local metastasis by exfoliated cells,...
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Traditional Mesothelioma Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Traditional mesothelioma treatments are the standard treatments for malignant mesothelioma, which is a cancerous disease affecting the mesothelial cells in tissues of the human body. Treatment methods of mesothelioma diverge due to a number of factors, such as the location of the cancer cell, the...
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Mesothelioma Treatment Websites
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Mesothelioma is an unusual form of cancer of the mesothelial cells that line the lungs, heart and the stomach. In recent times, in the U.S, there has been an alarming rise in the occurrence of mesothelioma cases mainly caused by a mineral called asbestos. Mesothelioma...
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma is a dreadful and life-threatening cancer, caused by continuous and long exposure to asbestos. It is a tumor that affects the lining of the abdomen that protects the contents of the abdomen and provides a lubricating fluid to enable the organs to move...
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Mesothelioma Treatment: What You Should Know
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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There are certain factors that influence the type of treatment a patient with malignant mesothelioma may undergo. These include the type of cancer, the location of the cancer, the stage or extent to which it has spread at diagnosis, whether the cancer can be removed...
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Mesothelioma Treatment Costs
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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The costs of treating malignant mesothelioma are extremely high; estimates range from $150,000 to over $ 1 million. The most commonly used anti-cancer drugs used to treat malignant mesothelioma are AlimtaÒ and cisplatin. The combined cost of these drugs for one treatment cycle is approximately...
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Mesothelioma Treatment Forums
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Mesothelioma is the term used for a cancerous tumor, which involves the mesothelioma cells of lungs, heart or abdominal organs. Medical specialists in mesothelioma provide treatment to the patients after assessing the stage of the mesothelioma in their specific case. They analyze the location of...