|
Mesothelioma Treatment Options Mesothelioma treatment options vary according to the age including over-all health pertaining to the patient, including the extent pertaining to the disease. Treatment options are often determined by the intensity of damage caused by the tumor. There are 3 staging systems currently in use for pleural mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma is not staged. There are a number of treatment options available to mesothelioma patients. The treatments should be roughly categorized into traditional or conventional treatment, alternative methods, new treatment approaches including miscellaneous treatment. 9 out of 10 cancer patients could find relief by using a combination of medications. Traditional treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy including radiation therapy. Age, contributing health problems, or advanced stage of tumor may make aggressive treatment impossible. In such conditions, alternative system is used. These specific treatments are not generally used or approved by medical doctors. New treatment approaches are research studies used to determine whether new drugs or treatments are safe including effective. Tri-modality therapy combines surgery with radiation including chemotherapy. Photodynamic therapy is a highly experimental treatment using a drug that causes cells to become light sensitive. Immunotherapy, hemotherapy, intra-pleural interferon gamma therapy are some pertaining to the miscellaneous therapies. Gene therapy is a particular important tool under research. Almita is a newly approved drug. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) is another technique that allows for radiation doses to be delivered to very complex shapes or to tumors with nearby normal structures. Alternative medicinal systems like homeopathy have developed certain drugs which improve the immune system pertaining to the body to counter mesothelioma. Specific diet supplements including metabolic therapy are additionally recommended. Complementary methods like sticking to a vegetarian diet, exercise, vitamins, herbal remedies, or stress management should sometimes help a mesothelioma patient. Treatment options for physical pain accompanying mesothelioma vary. Palliative care is a specialized form of care that alleviates pain including other symptoms. The type of pain treatment, using drugs, is called pharmacological therapy. Non-pharmacological therapies, those that do not rely primarily on medication to achieve effect, include therapeutic exercise including cognitive behavioral techniques such as deep breathing including muscle relaxation. Other alternative approaches include acupuncture including massage therapy.
|