The Latest Treatment For Mesothelioma
Combination therapies, including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and surgery are used to treat the pleural cancer. New treatments have helped mesothelioma sufferers live longer and with less symptoms.
They work by blocking cancer cells oxygen. These drugs also have less effect on healthy cells than other treatments.
Chemotherapy
In chemotherapy, drugs are used to eliminate cancerous cells. Doctors can inject chemotherapy directly into the tumor with an instrument connected to a pump, or directly into an intravenous vein to receive chemotherapy. Doctors can utilize systemic chemotherapy to shrink the tumor prior surgery or to decrease the risk of mesothelioma returning after surgery.
Traditional mesothelioma treatments can help patients live longer and enjoy a better quality of life. They cannot eliminate the cancer. Doctors have come up with new treatments in recent years that increase the chances of survival. These emerging mesothelioma treatments include immunotherapy, vaccine therapy and gene therapy.
Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer is caused by asbestos exposure. A person’s risk of developing this type of cancer is based on their exposure to asbestos as well as the mesothelioma type they have.
Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause malignant pleural malignancy called msothelioma. It usually occurs in the lungs’ lining and can trigger a range of symptoms.
A mesothelioma suit can help victims get the compensation they require for medical expenses and other losses. However, victims must ensure that their lawyers are experienced in this type of litigation. An attorney for mesothelioma can examine treatment plans to ensure the best possible outcome. A lawyer could check, for instance, that the doctor treating a patient has experience in treating mesothelioma. They can also verify whether the doctor is licensed to practice in the state where the mesothelioma sufferer lives.
Radiation
In the last couple of decades, treatment for mesothelioma has greatly improved. New therapies are now available to prolong survival and lessen the symptoms. The most recent treatments could provide a cure at some point.
Doctors will perform a series of tests to determine your mesothelioma type and stage. These tests can also reveal how much the cancer has spread beyond its initial site. The staging of mesothelioma is determined by a variety of factors, including where the tumors are in your body and whether they have spread. Your doctor will assign an I-IV stage IV based on your specific situation.
If your doctor determines that radiation treatment is the best option for you, they will use a machine known as a linear accelerator to provide beams of radiation to fight cancer. These machines are situated on the other end of a tube that passes through your abdominal or chest region. They can target specific tumors and the radiation is absorbed by small doses that are spread over time.
The addition of radiation to surgery or chemotherapy has been shown to improve outcomes for patients. One study showed peritoneal mesothelioma patients who received neoadjuvant cisplatin/pemetrexed, extended extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and postoperative radiotherapy had a median survival of 14.8 years.
Surgery
Many patients suffering from mesothelioma maligna undergo surgery to remove the tumor. In some instances it can be a cure for the cancer. If the tumor is not surgically removed, the doctor will use other treatments to control symptoms and make the patient comfortable.
Chemotherapy was used to extend the life of mesothelioma patients in the past. Prior to the introduction of more recent medications the most efficient treatment was a combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed. These newer drugs, known as targeted therapy, target specific vulnerabilities in cancerous cells.
Recent research suggests that immunotherapy could help mesothelioma patients live longer. Immunotherapy makes use of drugs that affect the body’s natural immune system to recognize and destroy cancerous cells.
Checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab which is also known as Keytruda, have been approved by the FDA to treat mesothelioma. Doctors may give these drugs before surgery (called Neoadjuvant therapy) or after the operation to help patients feel more comfortable.
Mesothelioma is a difficult cancer to treat and there’s no cure for it. If you’ve been diagnosed with mesothelioma ask your doctor about clinical trials that are testing new types of treatment. You can improve your quality of life and receive better care by participating in mesothelioma-related clinical trials. There are support groups in local hospitals or on the internet. tumor treating fields mesothelioma and complementary medicine treatments can also help to control mesothelioma related symptoms, such as breathing issues. However, you should never stop receiving regular medical treatment because of these treatments.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy uses a person’s natural immune system to fight cancer. It is now a part of cancer treatment, alongside chemotherapy and surgery. The FDA has approved immunotherapy drugs nivolumab and pembrolizumab to treat mesothelioma. Other options are available through clinical trials. These treatments, also referred to as checkpoint inhibitors, block cancer cells’ ability to activate their signaling pathway and block them from interacting with other cells.
The most commonly performed mesothelioma surgery are extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and pleurectomy with decortication (P/D). In EPP, the surgeon removes a portion of the lung lining the chest cavity, diaphragm, and any lymph nodes that are affected by mesothelioma. P/D is like EPP, except that doctors take out a portion of the pericardium as well as the entire lung.
Cryotherapy is a new treatment for mesothelioma that uses freezing temperatures to kill cancerous cells. In a study conducted in 2020 the method was found to reduce chest pain in mesothelioma patients. It is less invasive and causes fewer side effects than surgery. Another new mesothelioma treatment is introducing manipulated genes to the body to suppress tumor growth. Gene therapy has proven effective in treating patients who aren’t eligible for surgery. TTFields, which use gentle electrical stimulation to slow the growth of tumors, is another promising mesothelioma treatment that was recently approved by the FDA for patients with unresectable pleural mesothelioma. This therapy can be used as a complement to post-surgical radiation.
Gene therapy
Researchers have created a variety of new types of gene therapy to aid in the treatment of mesothelioma. These treatments specifically target the DNA changes that cancer cells undergo in order to reduce their effectiveness against chemo drugs and immune therapy.
Some of these studies used genetically modified viruses designed to deliver a gene to mesothelioma tumor cells. The gene is a component of the cell that produces proteins. When delivered to mesothelioma cells it causes them to stop producing proteins that allow cancer cells to expand. These viruses are paired with other mesothelioma treatments, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Other mesothelioma gene therapies involve targeting the p53 gene using an specialized drug that can repair the damaged version of the gene. This can restore functioning of the p53 gene and regulate the cancerous behavior. The p53 is one of the most crucial genes in preventing mesothelioma.
Some mesothelioma research trials have had promising results. One study found that the median survival rate for mesothelioma patients who received the special kind of gene therapy was 23.9 months. If you’re interested in this therapy and would like to discuss it with your mesothelioma expert. Gene therapy is not without risk. For example when the DNA is inserted in the wrong place in the genome it could cause cancer. The new genes can also damage healthy cells, causing them to sustain the damage and possibly die.
P53 restorative drugs
A more recent form of treatment is gene therapy, which attempts to add genes to cancer cells to make them more vulnerable to chemotherapy and other kinds of treatments. In one variant of this, doctors employ special viruses that have been modified in the lab to inject a gene into the cells that causes them to grow more slowly or completely die.
Scientists have also found ways to convert mutant p53 back into its wild type form, so that it can perform normal functions. They have tested thousands of compounds to find those that can do this, and some have been successful.
Angiogenesis is a new treatment for mesothelioma that focuses on stopping the growth of blood vessels around tumors. This may slow or stop mesothelioma growth and could increase the chances of survival for patients. Anti-angiogenic medications have been approved for treatment of mesothelioma as well as other cancers that are currently being tested in clinical trials.
Despite the advances that have been made, there’s still a lot of work to be done in identifying better mesothelioma therapies. To find out the latest treatment options, asbestos victims should consult a mesothelioma expert. Many of these options are only accessible through clinical trials, so people should consider taking part in a trial to receive the best treatment possible. For help connecting with a mesothelioma specialist, use our no-cost Doctor Match service.
