Mesothelioma treatment options

Treating Mesothelioma
Once mesothelioma is diagnosed, the treating physician will develop a treatment plan based on the stage of the disease and the patient’s overall health. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are the traditional approaches to treating mesothelioma. They may be employed individually but are usually used together, or as “multimodal therapy.”
Surgery
When mesothelioma is diagnosed at an early stage, surgery to remove tumors and/or additional cancerous tissue is usually recommended. While meso is generally considered to be incurable, the Mayo Clinic advises that “in some cases (surgery) may cure the cancer” if all of the cancer can be removed from the patient’s body. If all of the cancer can’t be removed, surgeons may attempt to remove as much as possible. This is known as “debulking.” Surgery may range from less invasive, palliative work to insert a tube and drain fluid buildup around the lungs, to radical surgery to remove an entire lung.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs and other chemical agents to kill cancer cells. It is referred to as “systemic treatment” because drugs introduced into the patient’s bloodstream travel throughout the body to kill cancer cells. “Chemo” may shrink or slow the growth of mesothelioma tumors or infected tissue that can’t be removed surgically. Chemotherapy may also be used before surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) to shrink growth and make an operation easier, or after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy) to reduce the chance that cancer will return, the Mayo Clinic says.
Radiation
Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may be part of a multimodal treatment protocol or palliative therapy to reduce the pain associated with mesothelioma. Radiation therapy may be used after a biopsy (removal of a tissue sample) or surgery to prevent mesothelioma from spreading to the surgical incision.
Alternative Treatments
Medical researchers and practitioners continue to search for other means of halting the spread of mesothelioma, easing its symptoms or someday curing the disease. New or experimental treatments include photodynamic therapy, which uses highly focused energy from light to destroy cancer cells; gene therapy to alter the genetic defects that allow mesothelioma tumors to develop; and immunotherapy (or biological therapy), which treats cancer by using the body’s own immune system to fight cancer cells. No alternative medicine treatments have proved helpful in treating mesothelioma, the Mayo Clinic says. But alternative treatments may be useful as palliative treatment or to slow the spread of the disease. Most treatment for mesothelioma will be provided by a specialist at a cancer center.
Contact Our Mesothelioma Lawyers
The Bubalo Goode Sales & Bliss law firm pursues product liability claims on behalf of mesothelioma sufferers and their families. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact our mesothelioma lawyers for a free review of your case. We can help you obtain compensation for medical treatment and therapy, and for your pain and suffering. We have represented many individuals injured as a result of asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. We work diligently to negotiate fair and proper settlements for our mesothelioma lawsuit clients or we take those responsible for our clients’ asbestos exposure to court. Contact Bubalo Goode Sales & Bliss online or by phone at 866.870.2489 to make an appointment for a free initial consultation today. We are ready to get your case started./bubalolaw.com/