Mesothelioma New Treatment Options
The treatment for mesothelioma is a combination of treatments for cancer. This includes radiation therapy, chemotherapy and surgery.
Mesothelioma doctors are in the process of developing new treatment strategies to improve the quality of life. These include targeted medications and immunotherapy.
Doctors drain the fluid that accumulates in the chest area to reduce the symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. They also perform surgeries such as an omentectomy or a partial pleurectomy.
Chemotherapy
In chemotherapy, drugs travel through the bloodstream to kill cancerous cells. Patients with mesothelioma might receive a systemic chemo treatment to reduce tumors, or to stop the spread of cancer prior to surgery, or after surgery in order to reduce the chance of recurrence. Mesothelioma specialists also utilize targeted treatment to stop mesothelioma growth or spreading at the cellular level. This type of mesothelioma therapy targets specific molecules or genes that create them.
Researchers are seeking new treatments that can improve the prognosis of mesothelioma of the pleural and peritoneal regions. They are looking at combinations of mesothelioma treatments and ways to improve a patient's immune system. They are also evaluating the effectiveness of immune therapy drugs to determine how effective they are in treating mesothelioma.
Immunotherapy can be a promising treatment for mesothelioma. These mesothelioma treatment strategies stimulate the immune system of the patient to attack cancerous cells. Clinical trials are available to test immunotherapy to treat peritoneal or pleural cancers.
malignant mesothelioma treatment utilize newer mesothelioma treatment methods like photodynamic treatments, p53-restorative drugs and mesothelioma-specific vaccinations. These mesothelioma treatments work by blocking cancerous cells from receiving oxygen needed to thrive.
A mesothelioma expert can help determine the best mesothelioma therapy for the patient in light of their medical history. A lot of these treatments can only be accessed through mesothelioma trials at special centers. Finding a mesothelioma specialist who has access to the latest research can help patients get the most from these therapies. Use our free doctor match service to connect with mesothelioma experts today.
Immunotherapy
Mesothelioma immunotherapy utilizes medications to train the body's natural defense system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. The treatment can reduce mesothelioma symptoms, and improve the likelihood of survival.
Mesothelioma patients can benefit from immunotherapy as part of a multimodal treatment plan. Combined with chemotherapy and other mesothelioma treatment as well, immunotherapy may increase the likelihood of complete cure.
Unlike conventional chemotherapy drugs, mesothelioma-based immunotherapy targets the distinct characteristics of cancer cells. These medications could target specific genes or proteins that cancer cells utilize to grow and spread. They may also enhance the body's immune response to mesothelioma.
Immunotherapy is available as a single treatment or in combination with targeted therapy and radiation. Some mesothelioma experts provide a new cryotherapy treatment that uses freezing temperatures to kill the cancerous cells and ease chest pain.
In a recent research, doctors discovered that patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma that did not have surgery longer when treated with amatuximab (Eisenhower) and pemetrexed plus the chemotherapy drug cisplatin. This was the first study to demonstrate that a second-line mesothelioma treatment improved survival.
Another treatment for mesothelioma that is promising is the drug nivolumab (Opdivo). The drug enhances your immune system and blocks the protein that helps cancerous cells survive. In combination with other immunotherapy medications that can improve mesothelioma survival for patients who cannot have surgery.
Researchers are also researching other types mesothelioma immune therapy. One method involves injecting healthy genetic material into cancerous mesothelioma cells to make them easier kill. Infecting cancerous cells by viruses can stimulate an immune reaction. Some viruses are oncolytic, which means they kill mesothelioma cells internally. Certain viruses act as carriers of viruses or viral vectors for other mesothelioma treatments.
Gene therapy
The development of gene therapies is an exciting option for treating mesothelioma. It makes use of a genetically altered virus to release an anti-cancer gene into cells. The cells can become more resistant to chemotherapy and radiation or kill the cells altogether.
Researchers are exploring various methods of gene therapy for treating this asbestos-related cancer. One approach involves injecting the tumor with adenovirus vectors in order to trigger the production of a protein that kills the cells. Another method involves inserting the genetic material directly into the mesothelioma tissue. This method could be targeted at the DNA of the tumor, and block the growth of new cells.
Scientists are collaborating to develop mesothelioma vaccinations that will help the body fight cancerous cells. These trials employ the CRS-207 and Targovax cancer vaccines, which have both demonstrated early promise in mesothelioma. Some trials use preventative mesothelioma vaccinations to stop cancer before it develops.
Malignant mesothelioma, unlike many other cancers, develops and spreads throughout the pleural cavity, where it began. Local mesothelioma treatment may improve survival rates due to this. Standard therapies are not effective for mesothelioma. However, a slight increase in local control could be enough to improve quality of life and palliation.
As a result mesothelioma patients, many might be interested in enrolling in a clinical study. These studies are designed to test emerging mesothelioma treatments, including immunotherapy, gene therapy and the virotherapy. These trials provide a unique opportunity to try drugs not yet available at a general hospital or even most mesothelioma cancer centers. But, patients with mesothelioma should talk to mesothelioma specialists about the pros and cons of participating in an clinical trial.
Therapy using radiation
Radiation therapy utilizes beams, like X proton beams or X to kill mesothelioma cells. The treatment causes DNA damage to cancerous cells, which makes it difficult for them reproduce. It is utilized in combination with chemotherapy, surgery, and/or immunotherapy for the treatment of mesothelioma.
In many instances doctors utilize radiation to help shrink tumors that cause pain and symptoms. This is called mesothelioma palliative treatment. It gives patients longer to live and an improved quality of life.
Doctors may also use radiation to treat areas where mesothelioma has returned. Mesothelioma recurrence is common after mesothelioma surgery and may cause new symptoms. Radiation can prevent the growth of these recurrent tumors and improve a patient's quality of life.
Like other types of radiation, mesothelioma can cause adverse effects. These side effects can include fatigue, skin changes and fatigue. Patients should speak to their mesothelioma specialist about the specific side effects they could encounter. Regular exercise can reduce fatigue and adverse effects.
Some forms of radiation, such as proton beam radiation, are able to deliver more precise mesothelioma treatments because they are more specific than X rays. However, these treatments are expensive and aren't widely accessible.
Immunotherapy, a new treatment for mesothelioma that boosts the immune system of patients to fight cancer. The treatment options for immunotherapy include vaccines that help the body produce antibodies against mesothelioma. They can also include drugs which boost the body's ability to detect and eliminate cancerous cells for example, immunotherapy drugs like ipilimumab (Yervoy) or Nivolumab (Opdivo).
Surgery
There are a variety of new mesothelioma treatments developed over the last decade have boosted life expectancy as well as reduced symptoms. Scientists continue to explore ways to improve the treatment options and to find mesothelioma a cure.
The symptoms of mesothelioma are chest discomfort, shortness of breath and breathing problems. These symptoms are typically not diagnosed until the cancer has reached advanced stages. Various surgical procedures can reduce or eliminate symptoms. Mesothelioma surgeries can also be utilized in conjunction with other treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
A doctor can determine the condition by conducting an examination of the body and ordering imaging scans such as an X-ray of the chest, abdomen or a CT scan. These tests are used to identify a lump or any other abnormalities. If doctors suspect mesothelioma they will request a biopsy, which is a procedure that involves removing tiny amounts of tissue for testing. The results of this test are used by doctors to confirm mesothelioma, and determine whether you will be treated for it.
In mesothelioma treatments that involve immunotherapy, doctors add medications to boost the patient's immune system. This assists the body to identify and attack cancerous cells. Some mesothelioma sufferers have shown a longer survival rate after immunotherapy.
Other mesothelioma treatments are experimental and are only available in clinical trials. These trials are supervised by licensed medical experts and conducted in a controlled setting. These clinical trials are typically accessible to patients suffering from mesothelioma according to their medical history and the type of cancer.
Several other experimental mesothelioma treatments include vaccine therapy and gene therapy. Vaccine therapy employs synthetic genes to help a patient's immune system for an attack on mesothelioma cells similar to how the flu vaccine prepares the immune system to recognize and fight the influenza virus. Gene therapy is a relatively new treatment that injects healthy DNA into the damaged cells to fix dysfunctional genes.