Mesothelioma peritoneal treatments are recommended for patients at any stage of the cancer. There are many methods by which oncologists and other specialist attempt to treat this life-threatening disease. Peritoneal mesothelioma is commonly known to be caused by asbestos exposure and develops in the lining of the abdomen, known as the peritoneum. Depending on the severity of the disease and the location of the cancer, multiple mesothelioma peritoneal treatments may be employed in order to quickly minimize the amount of cancer in the body. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer with a very poor prognosis, especially in late stages. Therefore immediate treatment is necessary in order to extend the amount of time the patient will live and improve the quality of their time.
Some types of mesothelioma peritoneal treatments seek to improve patient comfort and provide relief for symptoms. These treatments aren’t always intended to fix a problem like curative options, but they do serve the purpose of significantly increasing the quality of life for the patient. Known as “complementary therapy”, doctors may employ a number of surgical procedures to minimize swelling or effusion, prescribe medications to help with pain or stress management, recommend dietary adjustments to compensate for the effect cancer can have on the body’s natural processes, and prescribe antibiotics to control infections following open treatments.
A third category for mesothelioma peritoneal treatments is not endorsed by the medical community officially, but is highly recommended by many well-respected oncologists. These alternative therapies are effective for meeting the mental or emotional needs of patients and include a wide-range of therapies. Most commonly, homeopathic doctors and those with an interest in full patient care might recommend acupuncture, aromatherapy, massage therapy, meditation, and breathing exercises.
Curative type treatments are those which target cancer cells, either to eliminate them entirely or to prevent their mutated DNA from successfully sending messages to new cancer cells. Each type of curative treatment shares this common goal, though they work to achieve it in a variety of ways. Mesothelioma peritoneal treatments must be specially selected so that the treatment doesn’t harm the region of the body more than the cancer itself will. Because there are so many organs in the abdomen, this area is sensitive to general radiation treatments and surgery must be meticulously performed to avoid organ damage. Curative therapies for this type of cancer include surgeries, targeted chemotherapy and radiation and light therapy.
Curative treatments are the most aggressive forms of mesothelioma peritoneal treatments, however. They need to be – mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer. There are three primary types of curative mesothelioma peritoneal treatments that are intended to eliminate cancer cells or prevent them from growing in number.
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation
Mesothelioma Peritoneal Treatment with Surgery
There are a number of surgical procedures that may help to remove much of the cancer from the abdomen.
Tumor resection is a surgery in which the abdominal cavity is opened and cutting tools are used to remove the entire tumor from the body, leaving behind only the microscopic traces that cannot be seen with the human eye. Common complications and side effects include bleeding, swelling, discomfort, and pain.
Debulking surgery is a mesothelioma peritoneal treatment option that removes much of the tumor, but not all of it. This may be the only surgical option if a cancerous tumor has grown into sensitive areas of the abdomen. Common complications and side effects include bleeding, swelling, discomfort, and pain.
Peritonectomy is a surgical method in which all or part of the affected peritoneum is removed. The peritoneum is mesothelial lining that surrounds and protects the abdominal walls and organs within the abdomen and is the affected structure in cases of peritoneal mesothelioma. Common complications and side effects include bleeding, swelling, discomfort, and pain.
Mesothelioma Peritoneal Treatment with Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy drugs are introduced into the body through the bloodstream and usually work to disrupt the process through which cell multiplication occurs. This process is controlled by mutated DNA in the cells, which tells the cell to continue multiplying when it shouldn’t. There are two chemotherapy drugs currently approved for use as mesothelioma peritoneal treatments: pemetrexed and cisplatin.
Pemetrexed or pemetrexed disodium works by stopping an enzyme in the cell from being released, therefore interrupting the DNA’s instructions for the cell to full clone itself. So when an infected cell divides, the new version of the cell doesn’t have knowledge of the order to divide again.
Cisplatin was at one time the only approve chemotherapy drug for mesothelioma peritoneal treatments, but is now most often coupled with pemetrexed for more effectiveness. Cisplatin is platinum-based and when this metal is introduced into the cell’s DNA it interrupts the signals to the cell. By short-circuiting the commands from the mutated DNA, cisplatin effectively prevents the cell from multiplying and kills the cell.
This type of mesothelioma peritoneal treatment is commonly initiated immediately following one of the surgical treatments listed earlier on this page. Since surgery cannot possibly remove all traces of cancer cells within the abdominal cavity, some doctors choose to perform a chemotherapy “wash” by rinsing the abdomen with the drugs while the body cavity is still opened in the operating room. Others choose to administer the drugs through an IV following surgery or in cases where surgery is not an option.
Mesothelioma Peritoneal Treatment with Radiation
As mentioned earlier, cancer in the abdomen is not a good candidate for radiation treatments. This is because general radiation treatments are not targeted and are introduced from outside of the body. This type of exposure significantly harms the soft organs in the abdomen; damage leads to organ dysfunction and other complications. However, a new form of targeted radiation known as brachytherapy may be an effective alternative. Brachytherapy as a mesothelioma peritoneal treatment involves inserting a small amount of radioactive material into a hollow tube inserted directly into the tumor. The radioactive material is left in place for a while and then later removed, exposing fewer healthy cells to the material. Radiation is generally not an effective stand-alone treatment for any type of cancer and is more appropriately used during combination therapy.
