Medical Options

The information provided throughout this website is for your information only, and should NOT take the place of a full medical diagnosis.  The New York law firm of Belluck & Fox, LLP, is available to answer your questions and discuss your concerns, or simply point you in the right direction.  You can also find vital information at our dedicated mesothelioma website.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer for which there is no known cure.  However, there are several treatments available that can help ease the suffering of those people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma.  The course of treatment is different for each patient and depends on a number of factors including the location of the disease, the stage of the disease, the patient’s age, the patient’s overall health, and the patient’s input on the treatment alternatives.

Traditional Treatment Options

One traditional treatment for patients with mesothelioma involves physically removing the cancer through surgery.  Mesothelioma tumors are typically large and difficult to completely remove, so surgery is usually combined with other cancer treatments to ensure the best results.  There are generally two types of surgical methods for the treatment of mesothelioma:

• Palliative Procedures are medical techniques that treat the symptoms of mesothelioma, providing relief to the patient without aggressively treating the disease itself.   
• Potentially Curative Options are medical procedures that attempt to remove as much of the disease as possible with “curative intent.”  Residual diseased cells are then removed through certain therapies.

Another traditional type of treatment is chemotherapy, which uses drugs to fight the cancer.  The drugs may be in pill form or injected into the body through a needle.  In addition to killing cancer cells, chemotherapy drugs work to prevent cancer cells from dividing and multiplying.  To effectively treat mesothelioma, more than one drug may be used.  A patient must realize that depending on the drugs, the amount taken, and the treatment period, there may be side effects.

A third traditional treatment is radiation therapy, which uses high-energy x-rays to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors.  The radiation may come from outside the body from a machine (external radiation) or from radioactive materials placed directly in or around cancer cells through thin plastic tubes (internal or implant radiation).  Factors that can affect the use of radiation treatment include the volume of the tumor and how near it is to vital organs.  Radiation therapy can be very effective in relieving pain in certain situations.

Non-Traditional Treatment Options

Photodynamic Therapy

This treatment has shown promising results in treating many types of cancers, although it is still in the experimental phase for treating mesothelioma.  Photodynamic therapy destroys cancer cells by using the energy from light.  In the procedure, the patient receives a photosensitizer (a drug which makes cells sensitive to specific wavelengths of light) which collects only in cancerous cells.  Fiber optic cables are then placed in the body so that the correct frequency of light can be focused on the tumor to kill the malignant cells.

Gene Therapy

In traditional chemotherapy, healthy cells are often destroyed along with cancerous cells.  Gene therapy leaves the healthy cells unharmed by altering genetic defects that allow a tumor to develop.  A “suicide gene” is inserted directly into the tumor, making the cells sensitive to a normally ineffectual drug.  The drug is then administered to the newly sensitive cancer cells with the intent of destroying only those cells.  This is a new treatment, currently in clinical trials.

Immunotherapy/Biological Therapy

Promising clinical studies are under way for this type of non-traditional treatment, which fights cancer by using a patient’s own immune system to combat cancer cells.  Biological response modifiers, which occur naturally in the body, are produced in a laboratory to alter the interaction between the body’s immune defenses and cancer cells. The aim is to boost or restore the body’s ability to battle the disease.  Like other forms of cancer treatment, biological therapy can cause a number of side effects.

MesotheliomaHelp.net provides a thorough listing of mesothelioma specialists, treatment centers, and support groups. Click here.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or are worried that you might have mesothelioma, you may be eligible for compensation.  Although medical treatment is the most important concern, identifying your legal rights can help protect you and your family. Click here to learn more about your legal options.

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