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Mesothelioma
Lawyers & Mesothelioma Diagnosed
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Pleurodesis is a treatment administered through a thoracoscopy or existing chest tube. Pleurodesis creates inflammation effectively eliminating the pleural space. The elimination of this space then inhibits the accumulation of a pleural effusion. Generally used when the pleural effusion is symptomatic. Talc is used most commonly and effectively for this procedure, thus it is often referred to as "talcing" or as a patient having been "talced."
Pleurectomy
Surgery to remove part of the chest or abdomen lining (pleura) and
some of the tissue surrounding it. This procedure is performed for a
variety of disorders including pleural effusion, malignant pleural
mesothelioma, and trauma.
Pleurectomy/decortication
Surgery to remove part of the chest or abdomen lining (pleura) and
as much for the tumor mass as possible. This procedure may be
performed to reduce pain caused by the tumor mass or to prevent the
recurrence of pleural effusion. For peritoneal (abdominal) mesothelioma, surgery
is generally aimed at relieving symptoms, such as recurrent ascites
or bowel obstruction. As with pleural mesothelioma, complete
surgical removal of the entire tumor is unlikely.
Pneumonectomy
(new-mo-NEK-to-me)
Surgery to remove a lung.
Extra pleural pneumonectomy
(or EPP)
Surgery to remove the pleura, diaphragm, pericardium, and entire
lung involved with the tumor.
Radiation therapy
High-energy x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, and other sources of
radiation are used to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation
coming from a machine outside the body is referred to as external
radiation therapy or external-beam radiation therapy. Radiation may
also come from materials that produce radiation called
radioisotopes. Radioisotopes can be inserted in or near the
cancerous cells or tumors; this type of radiation therapy is called
internal radiation therapy, implant radiation, interstitial
radiation, or brachytherapy. Systemic radiation therapy, also
referred to as radiotherapy, irradiation, and x-ray therapy, uses a
radioactive substance, such as a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody,
that circulates throughout the body.
Chemotherapy
Using drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill,
or it may be put into the body by a needle in the vein or muscle.
Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters
the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells
throughout the body. In mesothelioma, chemotherapy may be put
directly into the chest (intrapleural chemotherapy).
Intraoperative photodynamic therapy
A new type of treatment that uses special drugs and light to kill
cancer cells during surgery. A drug that makes cancer cells more
sensitive to light is injected into a vein several days before
surgery. During surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible,
a special light is used to shine on the pleura. This treatment is
being studied for early stages of mesothelioma in the chest.
Immunotherapy
This new approach uses the body's own immune system to fight the
cancer within the body. Immunotherapy treatments are currently being
evaluated in clinical trials.
Gene therapy
This approach is designed to treat mesothelioma by correcting the
genes that allow a cancerous tumor to grow, potentially controlling
tumor size and spread. Like immunotherapy, gene therapy clinical
trials are currently underway.
Regarding these treatments
It should be noted that recent studies indicate using a single one
of the above listed treatments for malignant mesothelioma has failed
to improve patient survival rates; instead, patient survival is
being increased when treatment includes a combination of approaches
—for instance surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
This is called the "multimodality approach," meaning an approach
using many modes of treatment.
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