Innovations in Treatment
Doctors and researchers are always on the lookout for new ways to treat malignant mesothelioma. The following innovations in treatment, while not a cure for malignant mesothelioma, show some promise in helping to treat the disease.
Alimta
• when given with another chemotherapy drug called cisplatin, is a chemotherapy drug recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Photodynamic Therapy
• Photodynamic therapy uses special drugs and a special type of light to kill cancer cells during surgery. A drug that makes cancer cells more sensitive to light is injected into the patient’s vein several days before surgery. During surgery, a special light is used to locate the cancer. This treatment is being studied for early stages of malignant mesothelioma.
Immunotherapy
• This type of treatment harnesses the power of the body’s own immune system. Immunotherapy is currently being researched as a treatment for malignant mesothelioma.
Gene Therapy
• In studies of gene therapy for cancer, the goal is to improve the body’s natural ability to fight malignant mesothelioma directly or to make the cancer cells more sensitive to other kinds of therapy.
Brach therapy
• Brachytherapy is radiation therapy applied from within the body as opposed to from a machine outside the body. Radioactive sources are placed in or near the tumor, giving a high radiation dose to the tumor while reducing the radiation exposure in surrounding healthy tissues. This precision can help to minimize side effects.
Clinical Trials
• A clinical trial (also clinical research) is a research study using human volunteers to answer specific health questions. Carefully conducted clinical trials help discover treatments that work in people and ways to improve health. Interventional trials determine whether experimental treatments or new ways of using known therapies are safe and effective under controlled environments. Observational trials address health issues in large groups of people or populations in natural settings. If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial, talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial may be an appropriate option in your case.
