Treatment may depend on a number of factors
- What stage of mesothelioma is your cancer ?
- Any other medical conditions you may have ?
- Your general fitness ?
According to most medical studies and experts, mesothelioma does not always respond to typical cancer treatments. Mesothelioma treatments may be designed to treat the immediate area of the primary mesothelioma growth or the whole body. Whole body treatments are called systemic treatments. Localised treatments include surgery and radiotherapy. Systemic treatments act on cancer cells no matter where they may be in the body and include chemotherapy.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma Surgery
It is often not possible to operate on peritoneal mesothelioma. But if it is found very early, it may be possible to remove it with surgery. The operation is called a peritonectomy. This means removing the peritoneum ? the lining of the abdomen where the mesothelioma has started growing.
Chemotherapy Possible Option for Peritoneal Mesothelioma Victims
Because malignant peritoneal mesotheliomais usually confined to the peritoneal cavity for most of its existence, regional chemotherapy is an attractive option.Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer drugs, which are usually injected into a vein. For mesothelioma, chemotherapy may be given directly into the abdomen. Depending on the type of chemotherapy drugs used, this treatment can be given weekly or every two to three weeks. Usually the treatment is given as an outpatient.
Chemotherapy for mesothelioma is given with a variety of aims depending on the stage. If you have early stage disease, you may be given chemotherapy after surgery to remove your mesothelioma. This is called adjuvant chemotherapy. It is given to try to lower the chances of the cancer coming back.
Chemotherapy is often used to treat stage 2, 3 or 4 mesothelioma. The treatment is given to help control symptoms and to try to slow the cancer down.
Supportive care (Palliative care)
Unfortunately peritoneal mesothelioma is often diagnosed when it is quite advanced. Some people are too ill to cope with intensive chemotherapy. But your doctors will normally tell you that you can still have treatment to try to relieve symptoms such as pain, weight loss and other symptoms such as fluid in the abdomen.
