Mesothelioma Treatment

Each mesothelioma patient is different. Finding the right work of treatment will be contingent on a few factors. Physicians use several diagnostic tools such as x-rays, MRIs, CT scans and biopsies to decide the type, destination and extent of a patient’s cancer. Decisions about treatment can be made once these preliminary issues are resolved.

Receiving a diagnosis of mesothelioma is very difficult. The cancer is aggressive; it is resistant to treatment; and it is often discovered in its late stages. But patients and their families do have options for treatment—many more than existed a decade or three ago.

Several types of treatment are offered to patients with mesothelioma—some recommended more often than others. The most common treatments are surgical procedure, chemotherapy and radiation. In addition, some doctors are working with experimental treatments that are showing encouraging results in clinical trials. These therapies include gene therapy, immunotherapy and photodynamic therapy.

The Medical Team

Mesothelioma patients are treated not by one doctor, but by a team of specialists, each with critical knowledge about different aspects of the sickness. Learn about a few of the medical professionals who could be part of the medical team who treat a patient with mesothelioma. A general practitioner is usually the first doctor to suspect mesothelioma. they is likely to refer the patient to an oncologist, a doctor who makes a speciality of the treatment of cancer. To perform a biopsy or if surgical procedure is recommended, a thoracic surgeon can be called in. A pulmonologist, and also in some cases a pulmonary therapist, may help the patient deal with diminished lung function. A psychologist may help the patient and the relatives deal with emotional issues related to the sickness.
discover a Mesothelioma Doctor

For most patients, finding the right doctors with experience in treating mesothelioma will be the first step toward finding the right treatment. Search by state for a doctor who makes a speciality of the treatment of mesothelioma.
discover a Mesothelioma Treatment Center

Search by state for a cancer middle where mesothelioma patients are treated. Some centers provide only positive types of treatment, and the doctor you work with and treatment you select can help you select the appropriate treatment middle.
Types of Treatment for Mesothelioma

Today, there's a few treatment options for patients with mesothelioma: surgical procedure, chemotherapy and radiation . Mesothelioma doctors have learned that most patients who're strong reply best to a combination of surgical procedure and chemotherapy or radiation. Often, surgical procedure is performed to remove as much of the tumor as possible, and then chemotherapy or radiotherapy is used as adjuvant therapy to destroy any remaining cancer cells. For patients unable to resist surgical procedure, radiation therapy may be the best choice.

Enrolling in a clinical trial may be an option for some patients, and they provide information that could help improve mesothelioma treatment in the future.

Doctors are also exploring some innovative treatments for mesothelioma, such as gene therapy, immunotherapy and photodynamic therapy.

Patients ought to think about all of these options with the help of their doctors. Patients who educate themselves about their sickness and their doctors are in the best position to make good choices for their treatment and their quality of life.