Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
What is Chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells. It is often used to treat stage 2, 3 or 4 mesothelioma. The treatment is given to help control symptoms and to try to slow the cancer down.
How is Chemotherapy Administered?
It is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle. In some cases, it can be administered into the chest wall space (intrapleural), or into the abdominal cavity (intraperitoneal). Drugs administered in this way are often heated, which makes them work better.
How often is Chemotherapy Administered?
Depending on the type of drug used, the treatment can be given weekly or every two to three weeks or even monthly Drugs are given in cycles, with rest periods following a course of treatment, to allow the body to recover. The cycles are usually 3 to 4 weeks long. The Pemetrexed/cisplatin regimen includes pemetrexed by intravenous infusion on day one, followed by cisplatin as an intravenous infusion. The cycle is 21 days, so the treatment is repeated in 3 weeks.
How does Chemotherapy Work?
When the drugs enter the bloodstream they can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas.
How does Chemotherapy Relate to Mesothelioma Specificly?
Many chemotherapy agents have been tested in patients with mesothelioma. While some have performed effectively, proving their effectiveness has been difficult largely due to the number of patients required for statistically significant results. Because the disease is so rare, mesothelioma trials have historically been small in size. This has contributed to the widespread belief that mesothelioma is untreatable. With the development of new, active drugs for mesothelioma that have recently been evaluated in larger clinical trials, we now know that chemotherapy can shrink tumors, decrease symptoms, and prolong life in patients with mesothelioma.
Other Information Relating to Chemotherapy:
What are the current Mesothelioma Drug Treatments available? Anna L. Kaplan, M.D.