Chemotherapy has been used for decades as a treatment for mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer. For a patient who has mesothelioma, chemotherapy drugs can be given orally or they can be injected into the body. Although chemotherapy cannot cure mesothelioma, it has helped some mesothelioma patients live longer.

The Uses of Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

The purpose of chemotherapy is to kill cancer cells or at least stop their spread and growth. Chemotherapy can be used as the main treatment for mesothelioma, or it can be given as an additional (adjuvant) therapy. For mesothelioma, chemotherapy may be used:

• Alone
• Before surgery to shrink a tumor
• After surgery to help destroy any cancer cells that couldn't be removed with surgery
• To make immunotherapy work more effectively
• To strengthen the effects of radiation therapy
• To help destroy cancer that has spread from the original site (metastasized)
• To destroy cancer that has recurred

A Systemic Treatment

Mesothelioma chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the chemotherapy drugs enter the patient's bloodstream, circulating throughout the body's entire "system." The drugs (it's usually more than one drug) can be injected into a vein, or into the chest for intrapleural chemotherapy, or into the abdominal space called the peritoneum.

Many anticancer drugs have been used for mesothelioma chemotherapy. In most cases, two or more anticancer drugs are administered together to increase their effectiveness. New chemotherapy drugs are also being tested as treatments for mesothelioma. One such drug, pemetrexed, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a mesothelioma chemotherapy when it is used with cisplatin, a well-studied anticancer drug.

Side Effects of Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

Mesothelioma chemotherapy drugs attack cancer cells, but they may also damage some of the body's normal cells. The drugs can hurt the cells in the bone marrow that produce blood cells, leaving a patient with low blood cell counts. This can lead to:

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Bleeding
• Bruising
• Increased risk of infection

Other side effects of mesothelioma chemotherapy, usually temporary, are:

• Loss of appetite
• Hair loss
• Nausea and vomiting
• Mouth sores

The Future of Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

It's not often these days that chemotherapy is given as the sole treatment for mesothelioma. Even so, research continues into the benefits of new and better forms of chemotherapy for all cancers (including mesothelioma), and chemotherapy can be of significant benefit to many mesothelioma patients, whether it's administered alone or as an adjuvant therapy.

Help Finding Treatment

An experienced mesothelioma attorney may be able to provide you with information regarding local resources and treatment centers. Contact an attorney today for help with your case.

Related Chemotherapy News

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