Cure for Mesothelioma Lung Cancer

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that can manifest initially in the lungs, heart or lining of the abdomen. The disease can progress rapidly, spreading throughout the body at an alarming rate. It is not uncommon for patients to succumb to the disease within a matter of months after being diagnosed. No cure exists for the disease, but there are several kinds of treatment options available that can prolong the life of the patient and kill the cancer cells. However, there is always some possibility that the disease, once in remission, can recur.

Prescription Drugs

• The most commonly prescribed drug for treating mesothelioma is a drug known as Alimta. Also known as Pemetrexed, the drug is manufactured by Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals. The drug is used to treat pleural mesothelioma and some kinds of lung cancer.

Surgical Methods

• Some patients elect to have surgery to deal with mesothelioma. Surgical options exist to have the tumors excised, and, in some cases, an entire lung can be removed (known as a pleurectomy and decortication). Wide local excision is one surgical option, which consists of removing the cancerous tissues, as well as some of the healthy tissue around the site of the excision. Extrapleural pneumonectomy is another surgical technique that involves removing an entire lung, and part of the lining of the chest and pericardium; pleurodesis is a technique used to create a scar that can help drain excess fluid from the lungs.

Chemotherapy and Radiation Treatment

• Traditional chemotherapy and radiation treatments are used externally to treat mesothelioma as well. In addition, internal treatments are also utilized, such as placing a radioactive substance in wires, needles or catheters. Chemotherapy can be absorbed through injections into the bloodstream, spinal column, body cavity or organs.

Experimental Treatments and Emerging Techniques

• Getting involved with a clinical trial can be a risky but rewarding way to gain access to cutting edge mesothelioma treatments. One such treatment method currently being researched is an anti-angiogenesis drug, like Avastin, which works by cutting off the supply of blood to the affected area, thereby preventing new blood vessels from forming by branching out from existing ones. New research from Finland also suggests that another way to fight mesothelioma may be to target the adhesion receptors of cancer cells. According to mesotheliomaweb.org, a recent study discovered "that the cancer cells use their adhesion factors to move throughout the body. In time, this process gives the cells the ability to move to other parts of the body and to create metastasized cancers in other tissues."