How Is Radiation Used In The Treatment Of Pleural Mesothelioma?
Due to the sensitivity of adjacent structures in the thorax such as the heart, esophagus, spinal cord and lung, radiation dosing is limited. However, it does appear to offer palliative treatment to about half of patients. Unfortunately there have been no studies that show that radiation increases long-term survival. Radiation has also been used along with surgery to help prevent seeding following biopsy and chest tube placement. A third way that radiation is being used in mesothelioma treatment is in combination with chemotherapy and surgery. The best outcomes for patients have come with chemo, post-surgery radiation and extra-pleural pneumonectomy. Unfortunately, recurrence is common even with the combined approaches. There has also been work by a Swiss research team using radiation prior to chemo and surgery with some promising results.
