Better Understanding Mesothelioma Radiation Treatment Options
Those fighting back against mesothelioma, an incredibly aggressive but relatively rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, have more options available to them today than ever before when it comes to effectively treating and hopefully destroying mesothelioma once and for all.
It is of the utmost importance to get out in front of mesothelioma as soon as humanly possible, just like every other form of cancer. The faster you are diagnosed and the faster you and your medical team come up with a plan of action to destroy mesothelioma, the better off you are going to be.
Chemotherapy and surgery remain viable solutions for treating mesothelioma, but mesothelioma radiation therapy has proven time and time again to be powerfully effective to not only stop the growth of cancer in your body but also prevent cancer from reestablishing a foothold after other solutions have eradicated it.
Used for decades in the effective treatment of mesothelioma, doctors continue to recommend mesothelioma radiation protocols today because of its effectiveness, it’s relatively gentle impact on the body, and its ability to reduce damage to otherwise healthy tissue while destroying mesothelioma cancer cells at the same time.
Here are some critical details you want to understand about mesothelioma radiation therapy before moving forward.
Related: Mesothelioma Surgery Options
How Does Mesothelioma Radiation Therapy Work?
The way radiation works to fight back against mesothelioma is relatively simple and straightforward.
Effectively “cooking” the DNA in mesothelioma cancer cells, crippling their ability to reproduce and replicate, radiation therapy is able to slow down the otherwise rapid charge of mesothelioma through the body and is a perfect tool to fight this disease when used in conjunction with chemotherapy and surgery.
Unlike chemotherapy, mesothelioma radiation can be better directed and “laser targeted”. Chemotherapy negatively impacts healthy cells just as much as it impacts cancerous cells, and while radiation can cripple healthy cells as well it can be controlled and focused far more effectively than chemo can be.
There are three different ways mesothelioma radiation therapy can be used to fight this disease
After surgery has been performed on mesothelioma tumors, it’s possible for the cancerous cells that remain behind to “seed” themselves throughout the rest of the body. Mesothelioma radiation works to kill these microscopic cells before they have a chance to grow into tumors and other areas of the body.
Adjuvant therapy with radiation also works to help prevent the recurrence of cancer cells after chemotherapy or surgery has been performed. Often combined with those two types of mesothelioma treatment, this provides a multipronged approach to attacking and removing cancerous cells from the impacted area – effectively destroying mesothelioma at its core.
Finally, palliative care mesothelioma radiation can also be taken advantage of by those that are dealing with later stages of the disease. As mesothelioma cancer cells spread throughout the body it isn’t at all uncommon for an individual to feel constant and chronic pain. Radiation can be used to calm down inflammation, to slow down the growth of cancer, and to provide much-needed pain relief from this disease as well.
Related: What You Should Know about Mesothelioma Chemotherapy
