Depending on the location of the cancer, age of patient and stage of the disease, there are various treatments available for Mesothelioma. Options include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy:
- Surgery: Removal of part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy.
- Radiation Therapy: The use of high-energy rays to kill cancerous cells and surrounding infected tissue. Radiation can be produced by a machine (external radiation) or from targeting the area where the cancer cells are found with materials that produce radiation (internal radiation). Side effects are common due to the damage of healthy surrounding tissue.
- Chemotherapy: The use of anticancer drugs to kill, interfere with the growth or stop the spread of cancer cells throughout the body. Higher doses can be given, depending on the age of the patient and how advanced the disease is.
Other treatments include draining the fluid that has accumulated in the chest or abdomen. Removal of fluid from the chest is called Thoracentesis and removal of fluid from the abdomen is called Paracentesis.
If you or a loved one have been injured from being unknowingly exposed to asbestos, please call us at 1.800.966.4999 or fill out the form to the right of the page for a free case evaluation.
