Pleural Mesothelioma Treatment

Pleural mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that develops in the lung's lining, also called the pleural membrane. Pleural mesothelioma is most often caused by asbestos exposure, and is an especially deadly cancer: Less than 10 percent of sufferers will survive five years after diagnosis. There are four main treatment options for pleural mesothelioma patients: surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and palliative treatments. Often, combining aspects of all will yield the best results.

Aspects

• Pleural mesothelioma is most often caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers that become embedded in the lung's pleural membrane and, over a long period of time, result in formation of cancerous cells. As the cancerous cells multiply, their vast numbers decrease the lung's capacity. They do not function as normal pleural membrane cells do, and that allows fluid to accumulate between the pleural layers, decreasing the individual's ability to breathe freely.

Surgical Treatments

• Pleurectomy and extrapleural pneumonectomy are extremely high-risk procedures and are performed only on patients diagnosed with an early stage of the disease. Pleurectomy involves removing the portion of the pleural membrane that is cancerous. Extrapleural pneumonectomy is much more invasive, and involves removing not only the cancerous portions of the pleural membrane, but the diaphragm, the lining around the heart, and the lung on the side of the body afflicted with cancer.

Chemotherapy

• Chemotherapy is the usual treatment for pleural mesothelioma patients who are not surgical candidates, and is also used after a surgical procedure. In some cases, it is administered before surgery to remove the pleural membrane. The purpose of chemotherapy is to stop or slow growth of tumors in the pleural membrane. The chemotherapy drug used and the frequency of administration depends on the progression of the patient's condition.

Radiation Therapy

• Radiation therapy is used with chemotherapy and after surgery to control and destroy cancerous cells in the pleural membrane. Tumors are targeted with a powerful beam of radiation particles. Older forms of radiation therapy also destroyed healthy tissue in the treatment area, but newer methods can be aimed more precisely.

Palliative Treatments

• Palliative treatments do not treat pleural mesothelioma itself, but are useful in controlling symptoms of the disease and increasing the quality of the patient's life. Treatments include draining the chest of pleural fluid buildup through pleuroperitoneal shunting or pleurodesis. A pleuroperitoneal shunt is a catheter that drains pleural fluid buildup from the lungs into the peritoneal cavity. Pleurodesis involves preventing buildup of pleural fluid by getting rid of the pleural space through surgical or chemical means.