| Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease that affects the | | | | Treatment. |
| serous linings of various internal organs in the human | | | | CHEMOTHERAPY: |
| body. Among them, the lungs, heart and the stomach | | | | Chemotherapy is a "systematic treatment" of |
| are the mostly affected. | | | | Mesothelioma that uses drugs, chemicals and |
| It is estimated that each year, 2,000 new cases of | | | | medicines in an efficient manner to kill cancer cells. It |
| Mesothelioma are reported. The patients suffering | | | | is given to patients in either pills form or is injected |
| from this cancerous disease have had prior exposure | | | | directly into the body. In some cases, the medicines |
| to asbestos, which is considered to be the only | | | | are directly inserted into the chest, known as |
| known cause of Mesothelioma. | | | | intrapleural chemotherapy, or into the abdomen, |
| Mesotheliomic patients are often told of the short | | | | known as intraperitoneal chemotherapy, to destroy |
| survival duration of 6 - 12 months. But doctors | | | | the growth of cancerous cells. It is also given to |
| specialized in treating malignant Mesothelioma at | | | | patients before and after a surgery to limit the |
| leading cancer centers expect better survival rates. | | | | growth of Mesothelioma cancer. |
| Though Mesothelioma causes immense pain and | | | | The widely used pemetrexed, Alimta Â(R), is |
| suffering to the victim along with short life | | | | given in combination of Cisplatin (a standard platinum |
| expectancy, certain treatments have resulted in the | | | | compound) to treat pleural Mesothelioma. The drug |
| successful reduction and removal of the cancerous | | | | was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug |
| tumors of Mesothelioma. | | | | Administration (FDA) in February, 2004. The working |
| Treatment of Mesothelioma depends on many | | | | of this drug is simple: it enters the blood stream of a |
| factors, including the stage of the cancer, the | | | | patient and kills the cancer cells throughout the body, |
| circulation of the malignant cells, pathology reports | | | | while stopping the malignant cell growth. The drug |
| determining the nature of the cancer cells and | | | | has some side-effects for which vitamin B 12 and |
| patient's age and health. Following is a detail | | | | folic acid is given to the patients undergoing this |
| description of the options for Mesothelioma | | | | treatment. |