Mesothelioma Questions

Surgery, Radiation and Chemotherapy. The decision on which one or combination relies on a number of factors including:  location of mesothelioma, spread and staging, and age and health of patient. Surgical options include removal of affected area (pleurectomy), organ (pneumonectomy), or fluid (thoracentesis and paracentesis). Radiation attacks and kills the cancer cells, this can be done with internal or external radiation methods. Chemotherapy uses a combination of medications (oral, injectable, intravenous and topical) to attack the mesothelioma. Since all treatment options a currently palliative, goals should include pain management, restoring/maintaing lung function and quality of life. Clinical trials using a number of approaches and combinations of the above are also viable options.