Mesothelioma and General Health

Surgery is a common treatment for malignant mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some tissue around it is. Depending on how far the cancer has spread, it can also remove a lung in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes it also removes some of the muscle below the lungs that helps breathing (the diaphragm).

Radiation therapy using high energy X-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation (radioisotopes) into the area where the cancer cells through thin plastic tubes (internal radiation therapy). Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment

If fluid has accumulated in the chest or abdomen, the doctor may drain the body by inserting a needle into the chest or abdomen and pulling with gentle suction. If fluid is removed from the chest, a procedure called thoracentesis, whereas if the procedure is performed in the abdomen is called paracentesis. The doctor may also introduce drugs into the chest through a tube to prevent the accumulation of extra fluid.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. These can be taken orally or injected into a vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body and can kill cancer cells throughout the body. In the case of mesothelioma, a drug may be administered directly into the chest (intrapleural chemotherapy).

Intraoperative photodynamic therapy is a new type of treatment that uses special drugs and light to kill cancer cells during surgery. To do this, is injected into a vein drug that makes cancer cells more sensitive to light several days before surgery. During surgery to remove as much cancer as possible, a special light is used to illuminate the pleura. This treatment is being studied for early stages of mesothelioma in the chest.

• Most patients tire easily after their first radiotherapy treatment. This gradually increases fatigue and may be severe and limit the ability to do normal daily activities. Fatigue typically yields one or two months after completing radiotherapy. If you feel fatigue is important to rest enough, but perhaps your doctor tells you to do as much activity as possible.

• Some patients lose their hair on the chest wall area included in the radiation field. This effect may be temporary or permanent, depending on the amount of radiation received.

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Stage 1 :

Standard :

1. Solitary mesothelioma:

En bloc surgical resection including adjacent structures to ensure comprehensive disease-free margins. Sessile polypoid lesions should be treated with surgical resection to ensure maximum healing potential.

2. Mesothelioma intracavitary :

A. Palliative surgery (pleurectomy and decortication) with or without postoperative radiotherapy.

B. Extrapleural pneumonectomy.

C. Palliative Radiotherapy.

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