Mesothelioma – Conventional Treatment Options
There are three main conventional treatment options for mesothelioma – surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Two types of surgery your doctor can perform to reduce the signs and symptoms of mesothelioma are pleurectomy, removal of tissue around your lungs, and a peritonectomy, removal of the tissue of the abdominal cavity.
Chemotherapy, or treatment with chemicals, is another type of treatment you and your doctor may choose in order to shrink or slow the growth of your tumor cells. Chemotherapy done before surgery is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemotherapy done after surgery is called adjuvant chemotherapy. The top three chemotherapy drugs used when treating mesothelioma are Altima (pemetrexed IV), cisplatin and carboplatin.
Radiation therapy is the third conventional treatment option you and your doctor may choose as treatment for your mesothelioma. Radiation therapy is the method of focusing high-energy beams such as X-rays to specific parts of your body to shrink cancer cells. There are two different types of radiation therapy – external beam radiation and brachytherapy.
Many times doctors will suggest a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy to treat mesothelioma. This type of therapy is called combination therapy or multimodality treatment and may be performed at any stage during your disease working to reduce the size of tumors, or to make you feel more comfortable as your disease progresses. You and your doctor can discuss the right combination of treatment options for you.
Mesothelioma – Alternative Treatment Options
It is possible that what you decide is right for you may not be conventional treatment at all, but there are many alternative treatment options to choose from. Sometimes these may even be used in combination with conventional therapy to help make you more comfortable during the course of your treatment.
Alternative treatments can range from a wide variety of options, each assisting in different ways working on pain management or alleviation, relaxation and stress reduction, reducing side effects, and working to lift the spirits and improve overall quality of life of patients with mesothelioma.
Alternative Treatments for Pain Management
Some of the alternative treatment options that work to alleviate pain include acupuncture, aromatherapy, Biofeedback therapy, chiropractic care, myofascial therapy, light therapy, reflexology, music therapy, manual therapy and sound therapy.
Acupuncture is a palliative form of therapy to help make you feel more comfortable. A professional will insert very narrow needles into your skin at very specific pressure points. It has been proven that acupuncture can relieve pain for patients suffering from many diseases including mesothelioma.
In aromatherapy, the use of aromatic oils, plants and other substances combined with massages and/or relaxing baths can help lift the spirits of patients with mesothelioma, which can result in good health and pain relief. Biofeedback, or mind-body therapy, helps patients who are diagnosed with mesothelioma deal with the pain that is associated with the disease. Some patients will turn to sound therapy or music therapy to help them relax and reduce the side effects of pain associated with conventional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation.
Alternative Treatments for Relaxation and Stress Reduction
Alternative treatment therapies that can be used for relaxation and stress reduction can include aromatherapy, art therapy, dance therapy, Feng Shui, healing and therapeutic touch therapy, hypnotherapy, massages, meditation, personal fitness therapy, pet therapy, Reiki, and Yoga.
Art therapy gives patient the opportunity to express themselves through, thereby allowing them to deal with the physical and emotional challenges that come with having mesothelioma. Dance therapy allows patients to express themselves through another form of art, dance, providing them with another way to work through issues they may have about their disease.
Massages and meditation are two forms of relaxation for patients with mesothelioma. This can allow patients calm themselves and be able to make decisions and come to realizations about their mesothelioma disease.
Alternative Treatments for Side Effects
Therapies such as Bowenwork, craniosacral therapy, manual therapy, healing and therapeutic touch therapy, osteopathy, and music therapy have been used to help reduce the side effects of conventional therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Bowenwork is a method to help patients with mesothelioma relax and reduce the side effects associated with conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. Healing and therapeutic touch therapy works in a similar manner.
Mesothelioma and Health Coaching
Many patients may need to make changes in their lifestyle to aide in their recovery. A health coach is someone who can help, eventually teaching them to reduce stress and how to manage their pain. This helps to speed up the recovery process, and patients can enjoy a better overall quality of life.
Herbal and Nutritional Supplements and Homeopathy
Nutritional Supplements have natural medicinal aspects used to treat disease that seem to be incurable. They work together with herbal remedies to provide much needed vitamins and minerals to fight off infections and illnesses.
A homeopathic person believes that they provide their body with will then allow their body’s immune system the right tools, herbal and nutritional supplements, to kill off the cancer cells. Although homeopathic methods were traditionally used to treat chronic illnesses such as asthma and arthritis, its use has become more widespread.
In addition, some cancer centers are promoting the use of homeopathic regimens to their patients as a means of treatment instead of conventional mesothelioma treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Lymph Drainage Therapy
For many patients after surgery or radiation therapy they may notice swelling throughout their body. This swelling is known as lymphedema, or swelling of the lymph nodes and lymphatic system. A lymph drainage therapist uses four non-invasive massage methods to reduce the swelling and promote overall good health in the lymphatic system.
Unfortunately, lymphedema is a permanent condition and cannot be cured. However, these four methods, rotary technique, stationary circles, pump technique, scoop strokes, and pump technique, can help alleviate the pain and swelling associate with lymphedema.
TENS Therapy
TENS Therapy, or Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation is another form of alternative therapy used in mesothelioma to decrease pain side effects for patients. Usually performed by a physical therapist, electric stimulation is directed throughout the entire body in different areas. However, if the patient wishes to do this at home it is possible with the proper documentation.
Conclusion
Alternative therapies are not necessarily curative therapies, but they are palliative in nature, and may provide you with some relief from the side effects of your conventional therapies. You may be experience some pain, discomfort, or maybe just some stress over the situation your mesothelioma has put you in.
These alternative therapies offer you an alternative to alleviate some of the pain, reduce some stress, and relax. But remember, it is always a good idea to talk to your doctor before starting any kind of new therapy.
