Experimental Treatments

Experimental therapies being studied and used in the treatment of various forms of cancer can also be useful for patients with malignant mesothelioma. These treatments may be valuable for patients who have not responded to traditional therapies or they may be used along with traditional treatments to increase the overall effectiveness of the healthcare plan. The experimental treatments that have had the most success so far include: gene therapy, photodynamic therapy, and immunotherapy. Of course, many more treatment methods are currently being studied in various clinical trials throughout the world.

Gene Therapy
Clinical trials for gene therapy are currently underway. As a mesothelioma treatment, this type of therapy attempts to correct the defective genes that make it possible for a cancerous tumor to develop.

Photodynamic Therapy
This new mesothelioma treatment is based on the knowledge that chemicals called photosensitizing agents are capable of killing one-celled organisms (such as cancer) when exposed to light at a particular wavelength.

Several days prior to the surgery, the patient is injected with the photosensitizing drug.
Then, during the surgical procedure, a special light is used to destroy as much of the cancer as possible. This treatment is being studied mostly with regard to pleural mesothelioma that is detected at an early stage.

Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy uses substances called biological response modifiers to alter the interaction between the body’s own immune system and cancer. The biological response modifiers work in several different ways. They may be used to enhance the immune system’s natural ability to fight cancer cell growth, to make cancer cells more susceptible to destruction by the immune system, to prevent a cancer cell from spreading to other
locations, or for similar purposes.

Pain Management
There are several palliative therapy options available to individuals suffering from malignant mesothelioma. The goal of these treatments is not to cure patients of cancer, but to reduce their suffering. Each of the three traditional treatment methods - surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy - can also be used for the purpose of pain relief. For example, surgical procedures like thoracentesis and pleurectomies can help reduce the
amount of fluid in the chest, easing the pain that mesothelioma patients may suffer. Similarly, if chemotherapy or radiation therapy is used to help reduce tumor size, the patient may also experience a decrease in the amount of discomfort he or she is experiencing.

In addition, drug therapy is often used to help relieve pain for individuals with mesothelioma. This includes the use of opioids, non-opioids, and adjuvant analgesics. Relaxation therapy, biofeedback, physical therapy, and other treatments may also be suggested by the patient’s physician to help with the pain and discomfort of malignant mesothelioma.

Other Procedures
Fluid that may have collected in your chest or abdomen can be drained out of your body. Your doctor will put a needle in your chest or abdomen and gently remove the liquid. If fluid is removed from your chest it is called thoracentesis. The procedure to remove fluid from the abdomen is called paracentesis.