What Are The Treatment Options For Malignant Mesothelioma Patients

There are several treatments available for malignant mesothelioma that can extend life and and make the patient of this disease feel more comfortable.  A lot of times these treatment options result in an increase in life even higher than expected.  Even in the advance stages of mesothelioma participating in clinical trials have made leaps and bounds in what has been learned to help caner patients of this disease in the long run.

When we think of malignant mesothelioma or any other cancer thoughts of surgery often comes to mind.  Although this is a viable options it is not always the best option for everyone; especially the elderly.  With surgery the overall goal is to of course remove as much of the tumor as possible but also to retard the spread of the disease.  In advanced stages malignant mesothelioma has already spread in the body which makes surgery a risky options but if caught in the early stages the chances increase greatly of the tumor being removed.

In advanced malignant mesothelioma cases radical surgery has been shown to increase life 5 more years past previous determined expectancy.  “Extrapleural pneumonectomy” is the removal of the parts of the body that mesothelioma cells spread to.  This kind of pneumonectomy has been done for the past 30 years and is  almost exclusive for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.  Keep in mind that even though mesothelioma is not actually a lung cancer it can spread to the lungs after the cancer in the pleura has metastasized.

Chemotherapy is a treatment for malignant mesothelioma that is usually used.  This treatment shows positive results when used in combination with other medications.  Trials are being done worldwide to find the right combination of chemotherapy and drugs to increase the patients life.  Through research you may be able to find a clinical trial being conducted in your area that is seeking patients with malignant mesothelioma for research.  This is a good option especially for patients in the advance stages to receive live saving treatments.

Antiangiogenesis therapy is one of two types of drugs in a new class of medicines that restores health by controlling blood vessel growth.  It is being used in clinical trials for advanced malignant mesothelioma.  In order for it to grow, cancer needs it’s own blood supply.  VEGF & FGF-2 are two important chemicals involve in growth.  Patients in the advance stages of malignant mesothelioma have high levels of VEGF than patients with other cancers.  The clinical trials hope to prove that by halting VEGF they can stop the blood vessel growth needed for the cancer to grow.

There are several other treatment options for patients with malignant mesothelioma which includes gene therapy, immunotherapy and phototherapy to name a few.  If you are or know someone who suffers from this disease you should know that the medical field is aggressively pursuing treatment options.  Patients with malignant mesothelioma can increase their life expectancy and give hope to the future of other patients by participating in clinical trials.