Clinical Trials & Alternative Therapies

Clinical trials: Trial therapies focus on the study of promising new treatments for a particular disease. These trials are constantly in need of patients who are willing to try these experimental treatments before they are approved by the FDA. Patients should speak to their doctors about current clinical trials available to them and if they might qualify to be a part of a particular study. Those opting to participate in a clinical trial should carefully weigh the pros and cons before agreeing to participate.
Alternative Therapies

Alternative therapies: These options include potential treatment for a disease or its symptoms that are not part of the conventional treatment generally recommended for patients with the disease. These might include the use of vitamins or herbs or participation in therapies such as acupuncture, massage, or hypnosis.

Mesothelioma Treatment – Radiation Therapy

If a patients health is too fragile for surgery or chemotherapy, radiation is often recommended. Radiation causes the fewest side effects and is usually easier to tolerate than chemo. There are a few different forms of radiation therapy available to meso patients:

External beam radiation – the preferred type to treat mesothelioma, this type of radiation comes from a machine outside the body and is aimed toward affected areas. Usually administered 5-days-a-week for up to 5 weeks, this type of radiation is often used for palliative purposes – to lessen breathing difficulties, pain, bleeding, or difficulty swallowing – but seldom has much of an effect on the mesothelioma tumors. This type of radiation may also be used in addition to surgery.

Brachytherapy - Rarely prescribed for mesothelioma, this kind of radiation places radioactive material directly inside the lung or abdomen.

Mesothelioma Treatment – Surgery

Surgery can be performed on mesothelioma patients for one of two reasons: in an attempt to cure the disease or for palliative reasons in order to keep the patient more comfortable and improve the quality of life. Unfortunately, because mesothelioma is almost always diagnosed in its late stages, curative surgery is not usually an option.

As tests are developed that may help to diagnose mesothelioma at an earlier stage, surgery may become more of an option in the future. At that point, doctors may be able to attempt to remove the cancer and some of the surrounding tissue in an attempt to stabilize the disease.

More often, however, surgery is used as a palliative measure. For example, doctors may opt for a surgery called a pleurodesis, which involves injecting talc into the lungs to prevent fluid from returning. A thoracentesis, a surgical procedure that removes fluid from the lungs by means of a thin needle, may also be recommended.

In severe cases, a pleurectomy may be recommended for palliative purposes. This involves removing the pleura – the lining of the lung – and can control fluid build-up and lessen pain and breathing difficulties.

Workers and Family Members of those Exposed to Asbestos:

You may be entitled to Millions of dollars in compensation if your family member was diagnosed with Mesothelioma or Mesotheoliom.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma (pleural, lung, chest) or Asbestos Cancer you may be entitled to receive Millions of dollars from negligent companies who have set aside Billions of dollars by Law!

The Mesothelioma Treatment Network is committed to providing the most up-to-date information for our visitors in an effort to spread awareness about the dangers of asbestos cancer. Our website resources on asbestos – mesothelioma issues ranging from occupational exposure to mesothelioma treatment programs.