Mesothelioma TreatmentOther Therapies
In addition to the conventional treatments for mesothelioma, the following therapies and procedures may also be used:
Angiogenesis
Cancer can throw the angiogenesis process into a tailspin, making new blood vessel production either insufficient or excessive. Because this is a common occurrence among cancer patients including those with mesothelioma researchers have developed antiangiogenic therapies to deal with this complication.
Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy, alternately known as internal radiation therapy, is often used in the treatment of mesothelioma as well as other types of cancer. Unlike more traditional radiation therapy, which uses high-energy x-ray beams aimed at the tumor, this type of therapy involves placing a radioactive material directly inside the body near the tumor.
Photodynamic Therapy
This therapy involves the use of a drug that makes the cancer cells sensitive to a particular wavelength of light. The drug is administered before the surgical procedure. The results have been disappointing, and no survival benefit has been shown in studies so far.
Pleurodesis
This palliative procedure is aimed at stopping fluid build-up in the lungs, therefore easing shortness of breath. Meso patients are usually faced with these symptoms due to the nature of the disease. Any fluid in the lung will keep it from expanding fully, causing breathlessness whenever fluid is present.
Immunotherapy
Some oncologists often hesitate to suggest anything to their patients aside from the traditional forms of cancer treatment; namely, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or surgery. But more and more doctors are now touting immunotherapy as the fourth option in the treatment of cancer.
Alternative Therapy
Conventional doctors, such as oncologists, are not always eager to suggest alternative therapies but many patients have found these procedures to be quite helpful as complements to their traditional therapy.
