Radiation therapy as a treatment for Mesothelioma

In this post I will discuss one of the treatments to treat mesothelioma. The treatment is Intensity-modulated radiation Therapy (IMRT). IMRT is a kind of radiation therapy which uses x-rays of high energy to kill mesothelioma cancer cells to destroy the tumors.


Two types of radiation therapy are

1) External radiation therapy

2) Internal radiation therapy

External radiation therapy uses a machine to beam x-rays into the body where the mesothelioma cells are located. Proper care has to be taken in this method as some times good cells adjacent to the bad cells could also get damaged. IMRT is a type of three-dimensional therapy. A computer delivers the radiation as it moves around the patient’s body. The machine can shape the beams; adjust the strength of the beams and the angle at which they are delivered.

Internal radiation therapy also called at brachytherapy is a process in which chemicals are introduced to produce radiation at the mesothelioma cancer affected location in the body. A thin plastic tube is used and is inserted into the chest or abdomen.

Mesothelioma tumors are not discrete solid tumors but are usually spread over a large area and because of this it is very difficult to deliver radiation in sufficient doses properly to kill the tumor without damaging good cells. For this reason, radiation is mainly used to kill the remaining tumors after a surgery. Another usage of radiation is to relieve symptoms of mesothelioma. However, radiation has its side effects as in the process good cells can also get damaged.

Source: mesothelioma-data.com

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Mesothelioma and ongoing research

Mesothelioma is one of the cancers where the survival rate of the victims is very less. Successful treatment is wholly dependent on how early it is diagnosed, but what makes the diagnosis difficult is the subtle nature of the symptoms in its early stages and only in the advanced stages the cancer shows up. So treating mesothelioma is mainly dependent on how early the disease is diagnosed.

 The traditional treatments have been so ineffective in treating mesothelioma and none of them were able to increase the survival rate of the victims by more than a few months. Mesothelioma research foundation of America is very focused on developing new and innovative treatments for this cancer. Some of them include

1)      New chemotherapy agents
2)      Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
3)      Immunotherapy
4)      Gene therapy

It is good to know that research has been going in this field for treating mesothelioma. The regulation in United States has immensely helped in reducing the number of cases but countries around the world are still playing catch up game.  They are still letting people mine asbestos and affecting their lives and putting them at risk of this cancer. Science has come off ages in past couple of decades but there is still lot of things left on the table for it to conquer.
I will detail on each of the treatments mentioned above in my future postings.

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Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma

Chemotherapy is a treatment in which doctors use drugs on patients which kills the cancer cells. Chemotherapy for mesothelioma can be used in different situations such as


1) To minimize the tumor before surgery

2) To kill remaining cancer cells after surgery

3) To kill cancer tumor that recurs

4) To use on patients who are not surgical candidates.

Chemotherapy is being continually developed by the researchers. Good news for the mesothelioma patients is that, there is considerable progress is the systematic treatment of this disease in last few years. Pemetrexed is seen as the most promising drug to treat mesothelioma. This is an inhibitor of proteins including thymidylate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase which are required in synthesis of DNA.

Chemotherapy drugs are often used in combination of others and this process is called combination therapy. When cancer occurs, bad cells in the body keep growing as exponential rate and the anticancer drugs can help the bad cells keep in control and during the process good cells may also get damaged which is the main reason for side effects. The cells most likely to be affected are the fast-growing normal cells such as the blood cells forming in bone marrow, and cells in the digestive tract which includes the mouth, stomach, intestines, and esophagus. Hair follicles may also be affected, hence, hair loss during chemotherapy. Some drugs affect cells of vital organs, such as the heart, kidney, bladder, lungs, and nervous system.

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Mesothelioma treatment and settlement help

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that can develop after many years of asbestos exposure. It can affect your lungs, heart or abdomen. New research is going every day for this hard to treat cancer. People with mesothelioma will need medical support as well as legal assistance for settlements and emotional support to keep them going.


You should immediately consult your preferred doctor for diagnosis and early treatment improves the outcome. Tumors which are often hard to get rid of can be removed surgically if they have not yet metastasized. Radiation is another option as a treatment and chemotherapy treatment for mesothelioma is also recommended which will help in slow the growth of cancer. Oncologists are usually recommended by your primary physicians. Even after the treatment, statistics tells us that the survival rate is not impressive but all hope is not lost as there are many people who responded well to the treatment and are living healthier now.

There are a lot of advertisements on the television about this disease that offer legal advice on mesothelioma which will make people wonder if they need attorney when they develop this disease. Legal assistance is required if you want to make a settlement for your case. Legal assistance is always helpful and is free for initial consultations in most cases. Attorney can help people to find where they have significant asbestos exposure and will help you sue the companies that landed you in your situation. They can also help in getting supplemental security income or disability but you might have to pay for this service.

A successful lawsuit can pay for your health care which many time may not be covered in your insurance or could be used to support the dependants of the victim. It will take several years to win mesothelioma lawsuits so patience is required. It is important to look for a lawyer in this area and enquire about the percentage wins.

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Mesothelioma Cancer Treatment - Clinical Trials

Mesothelioma is a rare and severe type of cancer. The treatments available are not effective in treating the disease. This also arises partly from the fact that the disease is not well known. New methods and procedures need to be developed in order to improve the effectiveness of the treatment. Clinical trials are studies directed for the purpose to develop new treatments and to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of these new treatments.

There are basically four phases in a clinical trial and each phase has its goals. The phases are as follows:

Phase 1: This phase studies the safety and side effects of a new drug. It tries to determine the best way that this new drug is administered and tries to determine the appropriate dosage. It is important to state that not only new drugs are studied in a clinical trial but treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy and other treatments may also be studied. Before any treatment is tested on humans it has been already tested in the laboratory, usually on animals, but its side effects on humans will not accurately be determined until it is actually tested on them.

Phase 2: In this phase the treatment's effectiveness to fight mesothelioma will be studied and the treatment's safety will further be evaluated.

Phase 3: the new treatment is compared to existing treatments in order to study side effects and confirm its effectiveness.

Phase 4: Information is gathered in order to determine how an already approved treatment can be used to treat other diseases.

To be eligible for a clinical trial the patient should have certain characteristics. Eligibility depends on the stage of the disease, the age of the individual and many other factors. There are different types of clinical trials and eligibility is not the same for all. There is no guarantee that a clinical trial will produce the desired results. Further more the patient is obviously exposed to certain risks. Therefore it is very important that the patient talks with his physician and is well informed about the advantages and risks involved and the adequacy of clinical trial in his or her particular situation.

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Treatment Options for Pleural Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer that is directly attributed to asbestos exposure. There are three forms of mesothelioma. These forms are pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma. This devastating cancer attacks the mesothelium, or the protective lining of the lungs, abdominal cavity, and heart respectively.

Of the three forms of mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma is the most common. When asbestos is manufactured, mined or disturbed asbestos fibers are released into the air. Those working with or around asbestos inhale and ingest these fine particles. Over an extended period of time, mesothelioma can take 20 to 60 years to manifest, these asbestos particles can cause normal pleura in the lining of the chest to become abnormal, causing pleural mesothelioma.

Some of the most common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma are persistent cough, shortness of breath, bloody sputum, weight loss, fever, swelling of the face and neck, raspy voice and trouble swallowing. Due to the symptoms of pleural mesothelioma mimicking symptoms of other conditions it may go undiagnosed when the need to start mesothelioma treatment immediately is vital.

After a definitive diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma has been established there are several mesothelioma treatment options that can be undertaken. The type of mesothelioma treatment will depend on several key components. These factors are the extent of the disease, the patient’s history and age, and the location of the tumor.

The most common forms of mesothelioma treatment, for those with pleural mesothelioma, are a pneumonectomy, radiation, chemotherapy, and palliative therapies. One form of mesothelioma treatment is a pneumonectomy, or the removal of the cancerous lung. Depending on the spread of the disease, parts of diaphragm may be removed as well. A pleurectomy may also be used to treat pleural mesothelioma by removing parts of the chest and surrounding tissue. The ability for these procedures to be performed are dependent on the patient’s overall health, spread of the disease, and the amount of asbestos exposure.

Radiation treatment is another form of mesothelioma treatment for those suffering from pleural mesothelioma. Radiation therapy works by placing a radioactive source in the area of disease. The use of radiation has the benefit of destroying cancerous tissue while not exposing healthy cells. This form of mesothelioma treatment can be performed in conjunction with surgery or alone if the individual is to ill for surgery.

Chemotherapy is another common form of mesothelioma treatment for those with pleural mesothelioma. This high toxicity drug is usually administered by injection or in pill form. Some side affects from chemotherapy include nausea, vomiting, hair loss, fatigue and weight loss. This form of mesothelioma treatment is not targeted to a particular area like radiation therapy. Therefore, the drugs used have to make their way through the body to the cancerous area or areas. Unfortunately, this has the disadvantage of exposing healthy tissue to the toxicity of the chemotherapy drugs.

Palliative therapies are also used as a form of mesothelioma treatment for those with pleural mesothelioma. This involves removing excess fluid by needle and suction from the affected areas. Drugs are also used in order to keep fluid accumulation under control.

As additional research is performed on pleural mesothelioma more treatment options may become available. Keeping informed of new mesothelioma treatments is paramount if diagnosed with this devastating disease.

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