Main radiation therapy treatments for mesothelioma
Post-operatively, curative or palliative, or as a noninvasive palliative treatment plan, radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, may be utilized. High-energy beams or particle-streams penetrate the affected areas. After an extrapleural pneumonectomy, intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) can be used to eradicate remaining disease, inhibit growth, or prevent metastases.
Current treatment mechanisms:
- External uses an x-ray machine to administer the radiotherapy.
- Internal involves radioactive substances placed within the body. The radioactive materials are contained within a catheter, needle, seed or wire.
- To control radiation so that is does not adversely affect nearby tissue, a multi-modality approach may be employed. With IMRT, computer images guide the radiation to a specific cancerous area.
- Helical Tomotherapy, the newest, uses 3-D images from a CT scanner to determine the tumor/target size and location, and at-risk areas nearby. The computer generates specifics for the patient’s position, exact dosage and x-ray machine settings.