Irrespective of the progress in the field of medical science, certain ailments remain uncurable. Cancer is one such illness, the cause and exact treatment to cure it still remains unknown. What makes cancer more formidable is that it can affect any part of the body, and cancer in any form is fatal.
Mesothelioma, the cancer of the tissue lining of the lungs, abdomen, heart, or the testicles, is a type of fatal cancer that is known to affect approximately 3000 people every year. Similar to other forms of cancer, mesothelioma is treatable if it’s diagnosed in the early stages, but when cancer starts metastasizing, completely curing this form of cancer is out of the question.

• A history of asbestos exposure
• Living with someone whose work involves dealing with asbestos
• A family history of mesothelioma

Diagnosing mesothelioma in the initial stages can prove beneficial as one can receive treatment for the same right away. The symptoms of pleural mesothelioma manifest itself in the form of chest pain under the rib cage, painful coughing, unexplained weight loss, shortness of breath, and unusual lumps of tissue under the skin of the chest.

Surgery – As mesothelioma affects the tissue lining of the lungs or the abdomen, the doctor would recommend the patient to undergo surgery to remove the cancerous growth for treating mesothelioma. However, if the cancer is diagnosed in the later stages, removing the cancerous growth wouldn’t cure mesothelioma completely. But, it can reduce the severity of the symptoms and the patient can experience some relief from the same. There are two types of surgeries that are effective in treating mesothelioma, and they depend upon the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed and the location of the tumor. These surgical procedures are as follows:

• Pleural mesothelioma –   Patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma have to undergo surgery to remove the cancerous tissue lining around the lung. This procedure is called pleurectomy or decortication and is successful to a certain extent. However, the tumor cannot be completely removed by this process, and the doctor might have to resort to a more aggressive surgery called extrapleural pneumonectomy, which involves the removal of the lining of the lung, the entire lung, a portion of the diaphragm, and a portion of the lining of the heart.
• Peritoneal mesothelioma – For patients diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, the doctor would recommend a surgery called omentectomy, which involves the removal of the lining around the affected abdominal organs. As patients with peritoneal mesothelioma might have tumors spread across the entire abdomen, removing all the tumor is not possible. So, one can assert that removing as much of the tumors as possible is the prime goal of this surgery.

Radiation therapy –   Radiation therapy as a form of mesothelioma treatment involves the use of high energy X-ray beams or other particles to destroy the cancer cells. In pleural mesothelioma, there’s a risk of radiation therapy damaging the lungs. When the lung is surgically removed, the patient is advised to undergo radiation therapy, and it is administered to the chest cavity to lower the risk of mesothelioma returning in the chest. For patients diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, the radiation therapy is administered to the specific area where they experience severe pain. However, radiation therapy has several side-effects that include mild skin reactions, fatigue, upset stomach, and loose bowel movements.

Chemotherapy –   Chemotherapy is one of the popular treatments for mesothelioma, and it works by ending the cancer cell’s ability to grow and divide, which has a major impact in preventing the cancer cells from spreading. Chemotherapy is administered into the bloodstream so that it reaches the cancer cells throughout the body. In this procedure, the medications for mesothelioma are administered through an intravenous (IV) tube placed into a vein using a needle. In cases where the patient has peritoneal mesothelioma, chemotherapy can be directly administered into the abdomen after the surgery. This procedure is called intraperitoneal chemotherapy. The side effects of chemotherapy vary from person to person, and they range from nausea and vomiting, hair loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.

Targetted therapy –   Targetted therapy is a mesothelioma treatment that targets the specific genes, proteins, or the tissue environment of the cancer cells to destroy the components that promote the growth and survival of these cells. This form of treatment is quite beneficial as it blocks the growth and limits the spread of cancer cells while protecting the healthy cells from damage.

Immunotherapy –   Immunotherapy as a form of mesothelioma treatment works by boosting the body’s natural defenses to fight off cancer. It involves the use of materials produced by the body or developed in a laboratory for improving, targetting, or restoring the immune system’s functions.