[toc]Mesothelioma patients have great choice in mesothelioma treatments but there are certain important factors that are also kept in mind while choosing the perfect mesothelioma treatment for an individual. The general health of the patient and even the age of the patient have a great role to play in determining and choosing the treatment that would work best for the patient.
The area of the body where the cancer is located and the disease stage is also very important while getting mesothelioma treatment. There are various types of treatments available for mesothelioma but the most common among them all have been mentioned below:
5 Methods To Treat Mesothelioma
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a common treatment for all types of cancer where drugs of high strength and high quality are used on the patient so that the cancerous cells in the body can be killed. Chemotherapy is done by the use of a needle that is ingested directly into the vein or the muscle and can also be taken in the form of a pill. When the chemotherapy drug enters the bloodstream, it passes through the body and helps in killing the cancerous cells that come into contact with the drug.
Surgery
Surgery is considered to be the best of all the mesothelioma treatments where the cancerous cells within the body of the patient are removed. In this procedure, one entire area of the body that is affected by mesothelioma is removed along with the tissues so that it cannot have any adverse effects on the other parts of the body. All the symptoms that can lead to cancerous growth are eliminated from the body by the use of surgery.
Radiation Therapy
In this process of treating mesothelioma, rays of high energy are used in killing and shrinking the cells and the agents that cause cancer. There are two types of radiation therapy methods that can be used on an individual namely, internal and external. Both the methods are highly effective and are found to produce great results in killing the cells that cause cancer.
In the process of internal radiation plastic tubes are placed in the internal parts of the body so that the rays can kill the tumors directly. In external radiation a machine is used to direct the rays in killing the cancerous cells externally.
Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy is considered to be very effective especially in patients where the cancerous cells are localized in one area of the body. In this type of therapy light energy is used in killing the cancer cells. A medication is given intravenously to the patient that would make the cancer cells sensitive to one particular light and this helps in killing the cells that absorb the medication.
Gene Therapy
Genetic material is used in this type of therapy that is also considered to be the most effective of all the mesothelioma treatments. The genetic material that is used in this therapy targets cancerous cells that commit suicide because of the non-infectious virus that produces a substance that leads to the death of the cells. This therapy has produced great results in the past and is available with clinical trials.
