Mesothelioma Treatment - Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy comes in three types used to treat Mesothelioma patients: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, adjuvant chemotherapy, and palliative chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant is a preoperative chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumor before surgery. Adjuvant chemotherapy is postoperative treatment used to prevent a relapse of cancer cells. Palliative chemotherapy is for the purpose of addressing a patient’s symptoms and is not a curative measure. For Mesothelioma patients, combined modality therapy, is most often used. This is treatment with chemotherapy combined with another form of treatment such as radiation or surgery.
Common Chemotherapy Drugs
Mesothelioma is most often treated with Alimta, Anti-Angiogenensis, Cisplatin, Onconase and Veglen depending on the type or location of the disease.
Peritoneal mesothelioma can be treated either intravenously with one or a combination of the following drugs:
- Cisplatin
- Pemetrexed
- Irinotecan
- Cyclophosphamide
- Dacarbazine
- Gemcitabine
These chemotherapy drugs can be administered directly into the abdomen:
- Cisplatin and Doxorubicin
- Heated Chemotherapy: Cisplatin and Mitomycin
- Mitomycin on its own
- Fluorouacil and Paclitaxil
Pleural Mesothelioma can be treated with one or a combination of the following drugs:
- Pemetrexed
- Cisplatin
- Carboplatin
- Raltitrexed (Tomudex)
- Mitomycin
- Vinorelbine
- Gemcitabine
Chemotherapy Side Effects
Chemotherapy can have debilitating side effects, but can greatly improve the quality of life for mesothelioma patients. Typical side effects suffered by chemotherapy patients include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, dry mouth, mouth ulcers, fatigue, loss of appetite, hair loss, and other symptoms. As a result, patients can become malnourished and special dietary concerns should be addressed by physicians and nutritionists to ensure that carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals are properly replenished.
Mesotehlioma Related Resources
Chemotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer
Classification of Chemotherapies
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma or an asbestos-related disease due to asbestos exposure, the attorneys at Law Offices of Jerry Neil Paul can help.
Contact us today for a free and confidential consultation.
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