Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma

Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment that aims to eliminate mesothelioma cancer cells through chemical agents pumped into the body through a vein, bodily cavity, or sometimes in the form of a pill. There are various types of chemotherapy drugs, so the type and method used will depend on your doctor’s specific recommendation. The goal is to stop cancer cells from growing and spreading in the patient’s body. Doctors often recommend a chemotherapy regimen for patients with asbestos cancer accompanied by other cancer-fighting drugs.

How Chemotherapy Works

Chemotherapy uses strong chemicals to kill cancerous cells in a person’s body. The downside is that these chemicals do not discriminate between cancer cells and healthy cells, so patients who undergo chemotherapy often experience fatigue, weakness, hair loss, and low blood counts.

Chemotherapy: An Aggressive Mesothelioma Treatment

Chemotherapy is one of the most aggressive treatment options for patients with mesothelioma. It is commonly recommended because mesothelioma is such an aggressive form of cancer, and many patients are not diagnosed until the cancer has grown and spread. Although it can be a frightening option, many patients treated through chemotherapy have experienced an improved prognosis.

Common Chemotherapy Regimens 

Every mesothelioma patient is different, which is why oncologists come up with treatment regimens depending on a variety of factors that are unique to each individual patient. Common regimens and programs include:

• Just Chemotherapy 
  When the doctor opts to treat the patient with chemo alone.
• Multi-Modal 
  The doctor decides to use chemotherapy in addition to another treatment or multiple other treatments.
• Pre-Operative 
  The doctor uses chemotherapy to reduce the size of the patient’s tumor before operating on it.
• Post-Operative 
  The doctor uses chemotherapy treatment after tumor removal surgery in order to prevent the cancer cells from returning.
• Palliative 
  This type of method aims to lessen the impact of cancer symptoms.

Single-Agent Chemotherapy vs. Combination Chemotherapy

Just as there are a variety of methods, there are a variety of chemotherapy drugs oncologists can use. Sometimes, doctors choose to use just one type of chemotherapy medication like Alimta or Cisplatin while in other instances, the doctor might find it best to use a combination of chemotherapy drugs on a patient.

Side Effects of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy has a variety of possible side effects that will differ per patient and differ depending on the type and method of chemotherapy treatment. The most common side effects include:

• Losing your hair
• Nausea
• Weakness and fatigue
• Decreased red blood cell count
• Weakened immune system

Worthington & Caron, PC helps mesothelioma patients by connecting them to top doctors throughout the country. 

If you would like to learn more about your treatment options and possible legal recourse to pay for those treatments, contact us today.