Other Mesothelioma Treatment Options

Other Mesothelioma Treatment Options

Chemotherapy and surgery are primarily used to prolong survival, while radiation therapy and other therapies are primarily used to control symptoms. However, radiation therapy can reduce the risk of local recurrence in addition to improving chest pain.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or waves, such as X-rays, gamma rays or protons, to target cancer cells.

It is used to control chest pain by shrinking mesothelioma tumors that are pressing against the chest wall. When combined with surgery, radiation therapy can reduce the risk of local recurrence.

Some doctors apply radiation before surgery to shrink tumors to make them easier to remove.

Radiation often doesn’t have the strong side effects of chemotherapy, and it can help reduce the physical pain of mesothelioma. It is sometimes used palliatively to reduce mesothelioma symptoms when surgery is no longer an option.

However, because radiation can be toxic to various organs and damages DNA while killing cancer cells, it is used carefully. Pleural mesothelioma patients are more likely to receive radiation than peritoneal patients because it is hard to apply radiation to the abdomen without harming vital organs.

Pleural Mesothelioma Treatment Options

Other mesothelioma cancer treatment options control pleural symptoms and help doctors diagnose the cancer. Noninvasive surgeries are available to drain fluid that builds up in the chest, alleviating troublesome symptoms.

Pleurodesis

Treats pleural effusions by removing fluid from the space between the visceral lining and parietal lining of the lungs and closes the pleural space to prevent further buildup.

LEARN MORE ABOUT PLEURODESIS

Thoracentesis

This older method of treating pleural effusions drains fluid but does not close the pleural space.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THORACENTESIS