Mesothelioma Treatment

Houston, Texas and across the nation

There is no cure for mesothelioma. But there are several options for treating its symptoms. These treatments attempt to extend the patient's life, or to improve the patient's quality of life.

Physicians may recommend surgeries, such as thoracentesis or pleurodesis, to help reduce the severity of the mesothelioma's symptoms. Doctors may also recommend chemotherapy or radiation therapy to help slow the spread of mesothelioma. For some patients, in a further attempt to slow the mesothelioma's spread, physicians may even recommend surgeries such as pleurectomy / decortication, pneumonectomy, or extrapleural pneumonectomy.

Pleural Effusion

One of mesothelioma's painful symptoms occurs when fluid builds up between the lung and the pleura (the tissue lining the outside of the lung). This painful fluid build up is called “pleural effusion.” Doctors may recommend a thoracentesis or pleurodesis to reduce the fluid build up. In a thoracentesis, doctors insert a tube into the chest to drain off the fluid build up. In a pleurodesis, doctors attempt to fuse the pleura to the lung. This surgery is designed to eliminate the space between the lung and pleura and prevent further painful fluid build up. Thoracentesis and pleurodesis are called palliative treatment, meaning they are designed to reduce the pain the patient is experiencing.

Treatment Options

• Pleurectomy / Decortication

In pleural mesothelioma, the tumor begins in the pleura (the tissue that lines the outside of the lungs). Doctors may perform a pleurectomy / decortication procedure to surgically remove the pleura. By removing the tumor-laden pleura, this surgery helps give the lungs room to expand.

• Pneumonectomy

While pleural mesothelioma tumors start in the pleura, they can spread to the lung. In patients where the mesothelioma tumor has invaded the lung, surgeons may recommend a pneumonectomy. In a pneumonectomy, the tumor-infested lung (or a section of the lung) is surgically removed.

• Extrapleural pneumonectomy

For some patients, surgeons may recommend an extrapleural pneumonectomy. In this procedure, surgeons remove the lung, a section of the pericardium (the membrane surrounding the heart), part of the diaphragm (the muscle separating the lungs and the abdomen), and the parietal pleura (the tissue lining the chest).

During this surgery, doctors may also “bathe” the chest with chemotherapy, to try to destroy the remaining cancer cells.

• Chemotherapy

In chemotherapy, doctors use special drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy can help slow the tumors' spread, reduce their size, and kill microscopic cancer cells that remain after surgery.

• Radiation Therapy

With radiation therapy, doctors use radiation to destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy can help to kill microscopic cancer cells that remain after surgery, or slow mesothelioma's spread to other regions of the body.

In Its Early Stages, Mesothelioma Often Goes Undetected

As with most cancers, the earlier mesothelioma is detected, the more treatment options there may be available to the patient. Early, the cancer will be found in the lining of the chest cavity itself, the lining of the lungs or in the lining of the abdominal cavity. As the cancer progresses, the malignant cancer cells can metastasize or spread to the lymph nodes, diaphragm, or, eventually to other organs and tissues throughout the body. Unfortunately, this rare form of cancer often invades other parts of the body before it is diagnosed.

If you or a loved one has contracted mesothelioma, please contact Heard Robins Cloud and Black, LLP.

Heard Robins Cloud & Black LLP
3800 Buffalo Speedway, 5th Floor, Houston TX 77098
(713) 650-1200 | Toll free (800) 499-1797