Radiation Therapy for Mesothelioma

Radiation therapy is the old standby for many cancer treatments, and mesothelioma is no different.

1. Why use radiation?
High dose radiation is used to directly kill cancerous cells in the body. The radiation destroys cancer cells at the molecular level, and keeps them from replicating. Radiation is usually combined with chemotherapy and surgery to form a total front against cancer.

2. Where does radiation come from?
In previous years, radiation from high energy X-Rays, photons, neutrons, cobalt or other radioactive sources were concentrated on the tumor, and this radiation would kill the cancer cells and prohibit them from growing and spreading. This radiation would come from a machines and radioisotopes, but technology has developed several promising new advances.

3. What does using radiation to treat mesothelioma accomplish?
Radiation is very useful against cancer of cells that divide quickly, like mesothelioma, because it kills cells that replicate fast. When patients undergo radiation therapy, they receive several successively higher doses of radiation, which shrink the tumor to a manageable size. Radiation relieves a great deal of pain, and victims of pleural mesothelioma suffer reduced instances of shortness of breath. Unfortunately, radiation cannot kill all of the cancerous cells without causing significant damage to the patient.

4. What kinds of mesothelioma radiation therapy are available?
There are two main types of radiation therapy: internal and external

* Internal radiation therapy (also known as brachytherapy) injects small amounts of radioactive material directly into the cancerous tissues, usually through tubes, wires, catheters, and needles. This allows higher does of concentrated radiation over a shorter time frame on more entrenched tumors.
* External radiation therapy is the standard type of radiation therapy. Over the course of a day, weeks, or months, radiation is delivered into a patient to stop the spread of cancer throughout the body.

5. What are the side effects of mesothelioma radiation treatment?
The problem with this therapy is that radiation is non selective and does not just kill bad cancer cells, but also many other healthy cells as well. Most healthy cells being to repair themselves after initial exposure, but this damage and repair are what cause the unpleasant side effects of radiation. Most of the side effects of the radiation are manageable with drugs or other pharmaceuticals, and the benefits usually far outweigh the risks. Some common side effects include:

* Redness near the irradiated area
* Infertility
* Nausea
* Vomiting
* Loss of appetite
* Fatigue
* Hair loss
* Dry mouth
* Diarrhea

6. What can affect mesothelioma radiation treatment?
Many different variables affect radiation treatment of a mesothelioma tumor. Size, stage, location, and type are all factors considered by doctors when pursing the best route and amount of radiation therapy. The treatment is often given from several angles to best target the site of the tumor. The radioactive material and the dead cancer cells are eliminated from the body through normal excretory processes, and do not usually harm the cells after the treatment. The only downside is that the size and location of the tumor may prevent radiation from properly affecting the target tumor, requiring several treatments.

MESOTHELIOMA TREATMENTS

There are several types of treatment available for patients with mesothelioma, some recommended more frequently than others. The most commonly used treatments are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. In addition, some experimental treatments are becoming more widely used, or are showing some encouraging results in clinical trials. These treatments include photodynamic therapy, gene therapy, and immunotherapy, among others.

Most of these treatments are not used in isolation. In many cases, treatment may consist of a combination of therapies. For example, surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible may be followed by radiotherapy or chemotherapy to remove residual cancer cells. This is one of the most common treatment options for mesothelioma among those who are candidates for surgery.
A number of alternative therapies can also be combined with traditional treatment options. Many patients choose to add alternative therapies such as massage, acupuncture, or TENS therapy to their conventional treatment approach in an effort to enhance or compliment the treatment process. A variety of alternative therapies, including aromatherapy, meditation, or yoga, are often added to a treatment regimen to provide pain

mesothelioma

The range of mesothelioma treatment options has gotten broader in the past decade, but an individual who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma must learn about the treatment options most appropriate for his or her unique case from the physician(s) providing medical care. The description here is merely a primer providing very basic information. Many factors affect an individual's treatment options, including:

* whether the mesothelioma is in the lungs, the chest cavity, or the heart tissue
* the stage of the cancer
* the patient's strength/energy/immunity levels

Traditional Mesothelioma Treatment Options

There are four "traditional" cancer and mesothelioma treatment options:

* surgery — to cut away tumor tissue
* chemotherapy — drugs administered orally or intravenously to kill cancer cells
* radiation therapy — targeting tumor cells
* various combinations of the above treatments

These mesothelioma treatment options are often helpful and effective, and for some patients, they provide a cure. However, the prognosis for most mesothelioma patients is poor, and the life expectancy is not long. A diagnosis of mesothelioma is understandably devastating, but a patient and his or her family are not without options.
New Mesothelioma Treatment Options

There are several "new" mesothelioma treatment options available in most parts of the U.S., including:

* Alimta — an FDA-approved drug for treating malignant pleural mesothelioma
* biologic therapy — using the immune system to fight the tumor
* photodynamic therapy — using light to kill cancer cells

mesothelioma treatment options

Surgery

Surgery is commonly used in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed. Depending on how far the cancer has spread, a lung also may be removed (pneumonectomy). The following are some of the most commonly used surgical treatments of mesothelioma:

Pleurodesis
Pleurodesis is a treatment administered through a thoracoscopy or existing chest tube. Pleurodesis creates inflammation effectively eliminating the pleural space. The elimination of this space then inhibits the accumulation of a pleural effusion. Generally used when the pleural effusion is symptomatic. Talc is used most commonly and effectively for this procedure, thus it is often referred to as "talcing" or as a patient having been "talced."
Pleurectomy
Surgery to remove part of the chest or abdomen lining (pleura) and some of the tissue surrounding it. This procedure is performed for a variety of disorders including pleural effusion, malignant pleural mesothelioma, and trauma.
Pleurectomy/decortication
Surgery to remove part of the chest or abdomen lining (pleura) and as much for the tumor mass as possible. This procedure may be performed to reduce pain caused by the tumor mass or to prevent the recurrence of pleural effusion. For peritoneal mesothelioma, surgery is generally aimed at relieving symptoms, such as recurrent ascites or bowel obstruction. As with pleural mesothelioma, complete surgical removal of the entire tumor is unlikely.