Asbestos is a silicate mineral material known for its heat-resistant properties and strength that was commonly used in the making of construction materials in the time between the 1930s and 1970s. It can still be found today in many buildings constructed before 1980, and it is still a component in some products today despite the revelation of its association with various health risks such as chronic lung sickness and mesothelioma, a type of cancer. If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma and feel as if asbestos exposure, the leading cause of this type of cancer, may have played a role in your illness, you may want to consider visiting asbestos.net to view some options available to you. Though there is no full cure for mesothelioma, treatments do exist depending on how advanced the cancer is; age and a person’s overall health may also influence treatment. Here are three types of treatment available.
1. Medication
Chemotherapy drugs are one of the options available to those with mesothelioma treatments. Chemotherapy is used to kill the mesothelioma cells and can even be, and often is, used as part of a coordinated treatment with surgery. It can be used to make growths smaller for extraction by surgery. Chemotherapy may also be utilized for the removal of leftover cells after a surgical procedure. Though it can slow the cancer’s spread and reduce its size, it most likely will not completely erase it. Being in poor health overall can be a barrier to receiving chemotherapy.
2. Radiation
Targeted radiation therapy, or the usage of X-rays or particles to kill cancer cells, can also be utilized to induce the death of mesothelioma cells. Two commonly used types are IMRT, or intensity modulated radiation therapy, and EBRT, or external radiation beam therapy, which is the more effective option. Radiation therapy helps cut off the spreading of cancer and has been shown to work well with surgery when performed as a pre-surgery operation. It has also been used to help mitigate the pain of mesothelioma cancer.
3. Surgery
Surgery is a mesothelioma treatment often used in conjunction with others for effective treatment. Those patients in the early stages of mesothelioma are often treated by removing the tumors through surgery. There are different types of surgery available and different parts that may be removed depending on circumstance. Sometimes the whole mesothelium may be removed. Other times the removal of lymph nodes or parts of organs may be needed.
Mesothelioma is a devastating disease with lasting effects, but it does not have to remain untreated. The treatments mentioned here are viable options to reduce the suffering and extend the lifespan of those afflicted with mesothelioma cancer.
