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Finding a Mesothelioma Specialist or Physician: Why It's Important

Learn more about mesothelioma treatment options at the Simmons firm website.

Mesothelioma is a rare and serious form of cancer. It is an asbestos-related disease that most often attacks the thin membrane surrounding the lungs and abdomen. Sadly, nearly 3,000 new cases are diagnosed each year with the vast majority linked directly to asbestos exposure. Working with a doctor who specializes in the treatment of mesothelioma is critical to early detection and treatment in newly diagnosed mesothelioma patients.

A mesothelioma specialist will be knowledgeable about the most appropriate treatment options suitable for the patient, which can include innovative new medications and clinical trials. Treatment for mesothelioma is individualized to each patient depending upon the progression or stage of the disease.

The most common mesothelioma treatment methods are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Palliative care can be designed to help relieve the patient’s mesothelioma symptoms.

Mesothelioma Surgery

Patients diagnosed in the early stages of the disease may benefit from surgical procedures designed to remove the tumor. In cases of mesothelioma that affect the lungs (known as pleural mesothelioma), one treatment option is a pleurectomy, the surgical procedure to remove the parietal pleura, the outermost lining around the lungs.

A more radical surgical approach known as extrapleural pneumonectomy may be used with patients in advanced stages of the disease where the cancer-infected lung is removed. Given the difficulty of the procedure, only the most qualified and experienced surgeons should be contemplated to perform the operation.

Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the use of chemicals or drugs to stop and destroy the spread or proliferation of cancer cells. Currently the FDA-approved chemotherapy treatments include Pemetrexed and Cisplatin. Some physicians may opt to use “off-label” or other promising therapeutics depending upon the needs of the patient.

Mesothelioma Radiation Therapy

Radiotherapy is often used in conjunction with chemotherapy or surgery in the treatment of mesothelioma to control the progression of the tumor.

Clinical Trials

Innovative new mesothelioma treatment options may be used in conjunction with traditional forms of treatment (like surgery or chemotherapy) or as a stand-alone procedure.

Some of these new approaches for the care and treatment of mesothelioma include:

Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy uses a patient’s own immune system to fight cancer by preventing the spread and growth of tumor cells.
PDT or Photodynamic Therapy: PDT uses light to activate photosensitive drugs that have been manipulated to surround cancer cells.
Gene Therapy: Several forms of gene therapy are currently under investigation, but the underlying goal of each is to treat cancer at the cellular level through the manipulation of DNA.

Learn more about mesothelioma treatment options at the Simmons firm website.

 

 

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