Mesothelioma Treatment Options

Know Your Options for Treatment. Know Your Rights.

• There are multiple forms of treatment available for mesothelioma. The most common are the following:
  • Surgery
  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiation

Most doctors opt for multimodal therapy; utilizing various treatments in a customized plan for each patient. Various clinical studies and alternative treatments are also available. Knowing your options can be empowering. You can talk to your doctor and do your own research on alternative treatments and current clinical studies to learn more. For information about the legal side of your case, speak with BCH today.

Mesothelioma Surgery

Surgery is an option for those with certain forms of mesothelioma, and may be highly effective if the cancer is caught early. Less aggressive forms of surgery may be used for palliative purposes—easing pain and painful symptoms. Some mesothelioma surgeries include:

• Peritonectomy / cytoreductive
• Thoracotomy
• Wedge resection
• Lobectomy
• Thoracentesis
• Paracentesis
• Pleurodesis
• Biopsy
• Thoracoscopy
• Pleurectomy / decortication (P / D)
• Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP)

Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma

Even if you are a candidate for surgery, your doctor may use chemotherapy and / or radiation as well in order to ensure the best results possible. Chemotherapy has been effectively used in treating almost all cancers. Chemotherapy drugs are admitted, in most cases, through intravenous injection.

These medications are designed to target and eliminate cancerous cells.

Radiation Therapy

One of the benefits of radiation therapy is that it is not invasive.

Usually, radiation therapy is used with other cancer treatments, such as surgery and / or chemotherapy. Intraoperative radiation can be used to kill or shrink tumors during surgery. External beam radiation utilizes highly focused rays to target cancerous tumors.