Gene Therapy

he main type of gene therapy being developed for use in mesothelioma patients is called "suicide gene therapy," because it forces cancer cells to produce substances that cause their death.

When undergoing this type of gene therapy, the patient is treated with a non-infectious virus that has been altered with genetic material that makes them produce a particular protein. This type of therapy has produced some promising results for mesothelioma patients, but it is still only available through clinical trials.

Immunotherapy is a type of treatment in which the patient's own immune system is 'tricked' into killing cancer cells. A healthy, normally-functioning immune system does not kill cancer cells, because even though these are diseased cells, the immune system is unable to recognize them as being harmful.

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Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy is a highly specialized and specific form of treatment that is most often used to treat skin cancers, some types of lung cancer, and pleural mesothelioma.

this treatment is usually unsuitable for patients with metastasized cancer; it is most effective in patients who have localized disease.

This type of therapy involves the use of light energy to kill cancer cells. In photodynamic therapy treatment, the patient is given an intravenous solution of a medication that makes cancer cells highly sensitive to a particular kind of light. One to three days after this treatment, the patient is exposed to the light, and cancer cells that have absorbed the medication are killed.

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Mesothelioma Radiation

Radiation therapy, or "ionizing radiation", is used to kill cancer cells and to limit the spread of cancer. For patients with mesothelioma, radiation therapy is most often used in conjunction with surgery.

However, in some cases radiation may be used as treatment to relieve pain and other symptoms associated with mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma patients may receive one of two types of radiation therapies, depending on whether or not they are suitable candidates for either procedure.

External beam radiation therapy is the traditional type of radiation therapy, where tumors are bombarded with beams of radiation to kill cancer cells. Brachytherapy is a newer type of radiation treatment. It involves tiny radioactive rods which are implanted within a tumor to provide a strong, concentrated dose of radiation to tumors while doing very little damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

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Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

Most forms of chemotherapy involve the intravenous administration of drugs such as Alimta and Cisplatin. Chemotherapeutic drugs are targeted to kill cells that are rapidly dividing by interfering with processes that occur during cell division.

However, while cancer cells themselves divide rapidly, so do some types of healthy cells, causing some of the unpleasant side effects that are often associated with this form of treatment. Though older chemotherapy medications seemed to do little to fight mesothelioma, newer chemotherapy drugs are showing much promise.

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Mesothelioma Surgery

Three main types of Surgical treatments for mesothelioma include - diagnostic surgery, curative surgery, and palliative surgery. Some types of surgery fall into more than one category.

However, for curative surgery to be effective, it is particularly important that mesothelioma be diagnosed as early as possible. Unfortunately, mesothelioma is not usually diagnosed until it reaches Stage III or IV, when surgery is not an option.

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Mesothelioma Cure

Though a cure for mesothelioma does not currently exist, many patients elect to undergo treatment to combat the cancer. Patients may also wish to participate in clinical trials conducted to test up-and-coming treatments and medications before they are released and recommended for public use. Clinical trials are extremely important in the search for a mesothelioma cure.

such as Dr. David Sugarbaker have actively pursued better mesothelioma treatment options for patients and have been instrumental in the quest for a cure. Utilizing a multi-modal approach, Dr. Sugarbaker has made great strides in mesothelioma treatment and has increased survival rates for mesothelioma patients.

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Mesothelioma Treatments

several types of treatment for patients with mesothelioma, some recommended more frequently. But The most often commonly used for mesothelioma treatment options are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In addition, some experimental treatments are becoming more common and are showing some encouraging results in clinical trials. These treatments include photodynamic therapy, gene therapy, and immunotherapy, among others.

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