Mesothelioma Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is one of the most widely used treatments for cancers of all types. Literally meaning "chemical therapy", it was developed in the 1940s and, today, more than 100 chemo drugs are on the market.
Chemotherapy uses certain medications to kill cancer cells and stop them from multiplying. A number of different chemo drugs can be used to treat mesothelioma, though some have been discovered to be more successful than others. Often, chemo is used for meso patients in conjunction with other standard therapies such as mesothelioma radiation. It may also be used before mesothelioma surgery or after the surgery to eliminate any cancer that remains after the procedure is complete.
Chemotherapy, over the years, has elicited fear in many patients. Everyone has heard the horror stories about the nasty side effects of the treatment, and though newer chemo drugs carry fewer side effects, getting a course of chemo treatment is generally not a pleasant experience. Those with mesothelioma cancer to whom chemotherapy is recommended for palliative reasons need to carefully consider these side effects before agreeing to the treatment, weighing the positives and negatives and how the treatment will impact quality of life.
Receiving Treatment
Chemotherapy is generally given intravenously or may also be administered in pill form. This type of chemo is called "systemic" chemotherapy, as it travels through the blood stream and reaches the entire body. Systemic chemotherapy carries the most side effects because not only does it do the job it is meant to do - kill fast-growing cancer cells - but, unfortunately, it also kills other kinds of fast-growing cells such as hair and blood cells. Hence, many people lose their hair and suffer low white or red blood cell counts as a result.
Some pleural mesothelioma patients may be candidates for a different kind of chemotherapy that more closely targets the tumor and causes fewer side effects. Known as intrapleural chemotherapy, this method involves infusing drugs via a catheter into the chest area, the site of the primary tumor. This intracavitary chemotherapy treatment has proven to be most successful in treating cancers that are still limited to just the pleural surface. A similar procedure is available for those who suffer from peritoneal mesothelioma.
Common Mesothelioma Cancer Chemo Drugs
A number of different chemotherapy drugs can be used to treat mesothelioma. Currently, the most widely used drug and the one with which doctors have had the most success is Alimta®. This drug is usually used in tandem with a platinum agent like Cisplatin and has been shown to add several months to the patient's mesothelioma life expectancy in many cases.
Alimta is a systemic drug and is injected into the vein. It is normally given once every 21 days. Patients who are prescribed a course of treatment with Alimta will also be expected to take folic acid and Vitamin B12 to lower the chance of developing harmful side effects. This is essential! Patients will also be given a round of corticosteroids, usually for 3 days, in conjunction with each Alimta injection in order to avoid certain adverse skin reactions.
Other chemo drugs used to treat mesothelioma patients include carboplatin, gemcitabine, vinorelbine, mitomycin, raltitrexed, onconase, and navelbine. These are generally used in combinations but may be used alone if the patient is unable to tolerate two drugs.
The chemotherapy drug of choice will vary with each different case. Oncologists choose the drugs they believe will most benefit the patient while also taking into consideration side effects and other important issues surrounding the use of chemotherapy. It may take more than one try to discover which drugs will be best suited to the patient.
Side Effects
Chemo brings with it many side effects though, as previously mentioned, newer drugs prompt fewer negative reactions. Most side effects are short term and will indeed go away shortly after treatment ceases. Others will last a little longer. Nonetheless, any and all side effects should be reported to the patient’s medical team, even if they are deemed “common” side effects of chemotherapy. This is especially important after the first treatment when it is particularly difficult to predict how the patient will react to certain drugs. Prompt treatment of certain side effects may help lessen them or stop them all together
The most common side effects of mesothelioma-related chemotherapy include:
- Hair loss - Loss of hair occurs because hair cells are fast-growing like cancer cells. Chemo drugs are unable to distinguish one from the other and, as a result, these cells suffer death at the hands of the drugs and the patient’s hair falls out.
- Mouth sores - Mouth sores - or mucositis - are an inflammatory reaction of the mucous lining of the upper gastrointestinal tract, affecting the mouth, lips, throat and surrounding tissues. These are one of the most painful side effects of chemo and can also interfere with nutrition as the sores make it difficult to chew and swallow and can also affect taste. In general, they cannot be prevented but they can be managed. The patient will need to keep the mouth and lips moist and will want to ask their doctor about ways to treat discomfort and pain associated with mucositis.
- Nausea and vomiting - Though newer drugs cause far less nausea than older ones, the patient is generally given an anti-emetic drug before chemo to lessen the chance of stomach distress. Inform your doctor if nausea gets out of hand and lasts more than a day or two, interfering with eating.
- Increased chance of infection - This is due to low white blood cell counts. Those undergoing chemotherapy should avoid contact with sick individuals.
- Bruising or bleeding - This is due to low platelet counts caused by the drugs.
- Fatigue - When the red blood cell count is lowered due to chemo drugs, severe fatigue sets in. Chemo patients should strive to get as much rest as possible.
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