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Chemoterapy
mesothelioma:
Radiation
Wikibooks has a book on the topic of
Radiation Oncology/Lung/Mesothelioma For patients with localized
disease, and who can tolerate a radical surgery, radiation is
often given post-operatively as a consolidative treatment. The
entire hemi-thorax is treated with radiation therapy, often
given simultaneously with chemotherapy. This approach of using
surgery followed by radiation with chemotherapy has been
pioneered by the thoracic oncology team at Brigham & Women's
Hospital in Boston. [7] Delivering radiation and chemotherapy
after a radical surgery has led to extended life expectancy in
selected patient populations with some patients surviving more
than 5 years. As part of a curative approach to mesothelioma,
radiotherapy is also commonly applied to the sites of chest
drain insertion, in order to prevent growth of the tumor along
the track in the chest wall.
Although mesothelioma is generally resistant to curative
treatment with radiotherapy alone, palliative treatment regimens
are sometimes used to relieve symptoms arising from tumor growth,
such as obstruction of a major blood vessel. Radiation therapy
when given alone with curative intent has never been shown to
improve survival from mesothelioma. The necessary radiation dose
to treat mesothelioma that has not been surgically removed would
be very toxic.
Chemotherapy
In February 2004, the United States Food and Drug Administration
approved pemetrexed (brand name Alimta) for treatment of
malignant pleural mesothelioma. Pemetrexed is given in
combination with cisplatin. Folic acid is also used to reduce
the side-effects of pemetrexed
Others Information:
- What is the mesothelium?
- How common is mesothelioma?
-
What
are the risk factors for mesothelioma?
- What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?
- How is mesothelioma diagnosed?
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