Mesothelioma cancer treatments employ a combination of procedures to rid the body of cancer cells. Chemotherapy medications are a common combatant employed by oncologists for any type of cancer; mesothelioma is no exception. Chemotherapy treatments are costly and the side effects can be impairing to the recipient of treatment. However, because so little is known about how mesothelioma works or develops chemotherapy serves as one of the foremost cancer controlling treatments available for mesothelioma patients. A common chemotherapy combination for mesothelioma cancer treatment for mesothelioma cancer includes a mixture of the well-known chemotherapy drugs; pemetrexed and cisplatin.
Mesothelioma cancer treatment often begins with surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible. It becomes important immediately following surgery to ensure that any hidden or missed cancer cells are destroyed. This is where chemotherapy can greatly assist doctors in working to extend the patient’s life expectancy. Though it is not known if mesothelioma cancer cells have ever been completely destroyed or if a patient has ever fully entered remission, chemotherapy does have a significant effect on mesothelioma cells. This may also be accomplished through a series of other follow up treatments that may include radiation, immunotherapy, and gene therapy.
Chemotherapy drugs work to either kill cancer cells or prevent the growth of new cancer cells. Mesothelioma cancer treatment plans also work to extend the life expectancy of individuals diagnosed with this rare cancer, though the side effects make things more complicated. However, the side effects of treatment are dull in comparison to the effects of cancer and the prospect of death. Mesothelioma is a life-threatening cancer for which there is no known cure. To make matters worse, little is known about this type of cancer. For this reason, mesothelioma cancer treatments that include chemotherapy are the best bet for most individuals who have been diagnosed with this type of cancer.
Mesothelioma Cancer Treatments: How Cisplatin and Pemetrexed Works
Cisplatin is mesothelioma cancer treatment drug that works to kills cells and prevents the unchecked multiplication of cancer cells. It is able to affect this process by disrupting the mutated DNA that is telling the cancer cells to reproduce. Cisplatin is based on a heavy metal; platinum. Platinum works to effectively place a link in the cancer cells DNA which damages the cells “programming”.
Pemetrexed works with cisplatin by inhibiting the process of DNA programmed synthesis – the process by which cells divide and multiply. Pemetrexed belongs to larger groups of mesothelioma cancer treatment drugs known as anti-metabolites and anti-folates. Anti-metabolites are drugs that interrupt the DNA programming of a cell. In cases of cancer, these drugs interrupt the mutated programming of the cancer’s DNA.
Pemetrexed is an effective mesothelioma cancer treatment because it prevents division in the cell by stopping the enzyme that allows the division as well as prevents the development of DNA and RNA for new cancer cells. Pemetrexed also has this effect on healthy cells, which may cause an issue in cases of peritoneal mesothelioma because some digestive system cells are programmed to reproduce repeatedly over the patient’s lifetime. Pemetrexed also causes side-effects.
A combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed is introduced into the body through an intravenous (IV) line at the time of treatment or into a PICC line or central line through the course of the mesothelioma cancer treatment period. This blood infusion typically lasts for 10 minutes per session and is most commonly given in twenty-one day cycles until the end of the treatment period.
In general, this combination is given as often as once a week or as infrequent as once a month depending on how aggressive the cancer is at the time treatment begins. Many mesothelioma patients will undergo several periods of treatment with chemotherapy throughout their lives.
Mesothelioma Cancer Treatments and Chemotherapy Side Effects
Mesothelioma cancer treatments such as cisplatin and pemetrexed cause many undesirable side effects. Some side effects are mild while others are debilitating. It’s always important for a patient receiving mesothelioma cancer treatments to remember that the side-effects are often worth the end result. Without treatment, most mesothelioma patients are given a very poor diagnosis with less than one year life expectancy. The ability to tolerate side effects is critical to extending life expectancy. However, there are some side effects that cannot be tolerated at all so individuals must discuss the risks with a doctor.
| Mesothelioma Cancer Treatment Pemetrexed and Cisplatin Chemotherapy Side Effects |
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| Cisplatin Side Effects |
| Heightened Risk for Infection | Cisplatin lowers the body’s count of white blood cells that fight infection. Infection leads to other side effects such as head and muscle aches, coughing, sore throat, fever and chills. |
| Anemia\Fatigue | Cisplatin lowers the body’s count of red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body. This leads to fatigue. |
| Bruising | Cisplatin lowers the body’s count of platelets that assist in blood clotting. A lack of platelets leads to easy bruising. |
| Kidney Damage | Cisplatin mesothelioma cancer treatments are hard on the kidneys. Tests will verify the kidneys’ ability to cope with this drug before introduced into a patient’s system. |
| Other Common Effects | Ringing in ears or hearing loss, infertility, missed menstruation, tingling extremities (fingers or toes). |
| Rare Anaphylactic Effects (Allergic Reactions) | Skin rash, fever, itching, swelling, dizziness, anxiety, sudden urination, breathlessness. |
| Pemetrexed Side Effects |
| Heightened Risk for Infection | Pemetrexed also lowers the body’s count of white blood cells that fight infection. Infection leads to other side effects such as head and muscle aches, coughing, sore throat, fever and chills. |
| Anemia\Fatigue | Pemetrexed also the body’s count of red blood cells that carry oxygen through the body. This leads to fatigue. |
| Bruising | Pemetrexed also the body’s count of platelets that assist in blood clotting. A lack of platelets leads to easy bruising. |
| Diarrhea | Pemetrexed as a mesothelioma cancer treatment can cause diarrhea, so individuals are encouraged to stay hydrated to prevent it. |
| Skin Rash | Because an allergic reaction to Cisplatin may include skin rash and itching, this side effect complicates the doctor’s ability to determine a patient’s reaction to pemetrexed or cisplatin individually. |
| Rare or Occasional Side Effects | Hair loss, constipation, liver dysfunction that returns to normal after treatment has concluded, and fever. |
| Other Common Side Effects | Sore mouth, loss of appetite, nausea, missed menstruation, infertility, birth defects. |
All mesothelioma cancer treatments involving chemotherapy drugs will cause at least some of the side effects listed above. In cases of peritoneal mesothelioma cancer treatments, side effects are less severe when the drugs are injected into the abdomen instead of the veins in that part of the body cavity. Nearly all side effects are temporary and fade as treatment continues or vanish soon after the entire treatment period has ended. Hair thinning, for example, may cause temporary baldness. Once the mesothelioma cancer treatment is complete, the hair will being to grow back.
