Treatment programs for mesothelioma will depend on several factors, including:

Where the cancer is located, how the cancer cells look under the microscope, the patient’s age, the stage of the cancer, how far the cancer has spread and the overall health of the patient.

Traditional mesothelioma treatments consists of three forms of treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Surgery is recommended only if the tumor or mass has not spread into other areas of the body.

If the mesothelioma cancer has spread then chemotherapy or radiation therapy in addition to surgery would be recommended.

Many patients are fearful of chemotherapy because of lack of knowledge. Nearly everyone knows someone who has taken chemotherapy treatments and there are all kinds of stories out there about how badly someone’s aunt, cousin, sister, brother or friend tolerated chemotherapy.

It is much less common to hear the stories about those patients who do quite well during chemotherapy treatments, but rest assured those patients are out there!

Just like with many other things in life, don’t believe everything you hear. Do the research, know that every patient is different and make the best treatment decision for yourself.

Education is the best weapon against all the stories and it is in your best interest to do the research and to educate yourself on all types of traditional mesothelioma treatment before making any treatment decision.

Surgery may be combined with chemotherapy as a form of treatment for mesothelioma cancer.

Chemotherapy is described as the treatment of cancer using chemical substances which are toxic to cells. The trouble with chemotherapy is that it cannot differentiate between the cancerous cells and the healthy cells.

When mesothelioma cancer occurs, abnormal cells begin to divide uncontrollably and begin to crowd out the healthy cells. With chemotherapy treatment, the cell toxic medications work to destroy the cancerous cells by preventing them from multiplying all together or by preventing them from growing so rapidly.

Chemotherapy agents attack the cancerous cells at various stages of growth in an effort to kill off as many malignant cells as possible.

Radiation therapy treats mesothelioma cancer by penetrating beams of high energy or streams of particles called radiation directly at the malignant tumors. Radiation may also be used aggressively in combination with surgery to control symptoms. Radiation can also help control metastasis, also known as spreading, of the tumor.

Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that requires aggressive treatment.  There is currently no cure for this cancer but there are traditional mesothelioma treatments that can help to reduced symptoms and prolong one’s life.

Traditional mesothelioma treatment includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. As with many cancer treatments combination treatments are most often used in an effort to achieve the best response.

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