Medical Symptoms and Facts

Potentially curative surgical procedures are available for malignant mesothelioma patients who have been diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. Pleurectomy is one of the most common attempts at curative surgery for malignant mesothelioma and attempts to surgically remove all malignant mesothelioma tumors from the patient.

If surgical procedures are not an available treatment option for malignant mesothelioma, many patients employ the use of chemotherapy to combat tumors associated with the onset of malignant mesothelioma. Chemotherapy attempts to treat malignant mesothelioma and other forms of cancer by using chemical substances which work to destroy cancerous cells by preventing them from multiplying.

Many patients for malignant mesothelioma have used radiation therapy, or radiotherapy, to treat their illness. Radiation therapy may be used aggressively in combination with surgery to treat the symptoms of malignant mesothelioma. Radiation therapy employs the use of high energy beams to attack malignant mesothelioma cells after surgery is performed to remove visible tumors and tissue affected by malignant mesothelioma. Chemo and radiation therapy often produce the risk of side effects as well. The risks associated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy should be considered before beginning any kind of treatment. Side effects from chemo and radiation therapy vary widely from patient to patient based on what chemicals are being used, doses being administered as well as how each patient reacts to therapy and how often a patient undergoes these types of mesothelioma treatments.