Mesothelioma Treatment

Once a patient is diagnosed with mesothelioma, an oncologist can go ahead and plan an appropriate path of treatment for the individual. Since every person and their cancer is unique, a tailored form of treatment is necessary to ensure the best prognosis.

There are a number of different types of treatment available for this disease. Among the curative options that are available are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Many patients who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma are given a combination of the three, in what is called a multimodal approach. By combining more than one of these rigorous treatments, it is possible to approach a solution to the cancer from various angles. This innovative approach has been shown to improve the life expectancy of the patient

In addition to these options, there are also some more experimental procedures. Among these options are photodynamic therapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy, anti-angiogenesis therapy and ozone therapy. Unfortunately, these options are still in the experimental phase, with little knowledge as to their effectiveness. For this reason they are typically only available to patients as part of a clinical trial.

Some of the more recent clinical trials conducted on gene therapy, photodynamic therapy and immunotherapy have shown results that are positive enough to suggest that further research is promising. Patients who agree to take part in a clinical trial are not only exposing themselves to treatments that may be beneficial; they are also providing researchers with the information that they need to develop new treatments and possibly cures for people who are suffering from mesothelioma in the present and future.

Furthermore, many patients seek complimentary methods of treatment. These are not necessarily used in place of more conventional options such as chemotherapy and surgery, but rather as a compliment to the treatments. While they have not been proven to cure the mesothelioma, many people note feelings of reduced stress or pain after a complimentary procedure such as yoga or acupuncture.

Article Source: mesotheliomatreatment.net