Mesothelioma Symptoms | Mesothelioma Treatment | Mesothelioma Lawyer
Arthur Wren shares details of the experience and explains how this was the only one of the mesothelioma treatment options that was suitable for his case.
Mesothelioma patients eager to know more about chemotherapy while they are going to take this treatment. Basically, they have some questions that they want answers for when they want to commence on Chemotherapy. These include:
1. What is chemotherapy for mesothelioma? Chemotherapy involves one or more anti-cancer drugs taken either orally in pill form, or intravenously, or, in the case of pleural mesothelioma, injected directly into the lungs. These drugs inhibit the growth of cancerous cells, but they also damage normal healthy cells as well leading to the development of side effects.
2. What are the common side effects of mesothelioma chemotherapy? Side effects are very common with the use of many Chemotherapy agents. The commonly seen side effects include:
• hair loss
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• constipation
• anemia
• hemorrhaging
Chemotherapy also causes many complicated side effects within the cancerous growth. It is not uncommon in mesothelioma cases to have secondary neoplasms, which are cancerous offshoots of the original tumor that have redirected their growth due to the introduction of anti-cancer drugs.
3. What are the other risks of chemotherapy?
Furthermore, chemotherapy often increases the chances of toxic reactions in the blood, liver, and kidneys, contributing to the potential fatal nature of chemotherapy treatment. Because chemotherapy suppresses the immune system by decreasing antibodies in the bloodstream, patients undergoing chemotherapy are vulnerable to having common infections and illnesses. Other complications are mouth sores which, in combination with the overwhelming nausea and intestinal discomfort caused by chemotherapy, results in many patients failing to eat a healthy diet.
4. What can you do if chemotherapy does not work?
If you suffer from mesothelioma and chemotherapy has failed you, then you should consult with an attorney experienced in handling asbestos-related litigation. You have a right to pursue legal action to seek justice from those who wronged you. Don’t delay, for the laws in your state limit the amount of time you have to collect damages, and these statutes of limitations can end your case before it can begin. Contact a lawyer today.
5. Does chemotherapy work well on mesothelioma?
Chemotherapy does not result in a cure for mesothelioma as the cancer is usually too advanced at the time of diagnosis. Newer chemotherapy agents however are very useful in providing symptomatic relief and prolonging the life span of patients especially when used in combination with other modalities of treatment like surgery and radiotherapy.
Mesothelioma chemotherapy has an edge when it comes to give out the result for mesothelioma patients. So if you have been suggested to get the chemotherapy for mesothelioma then browse our website http://www.newmesotheliomatreatments.com/mesothelioma-chemotherapy to get the necessary information.
If you need any assisstance regarding Mesothelioma chemotherapy or chemotherapy for mesothelioma please contact Jeff, an experienced writer and guides how to take strong>mesothelioma treatment.
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/cancer-articles/more-about-mesothelioma-chemotherapy-1655923.html
Technorati Tag: mesothelioma
Mesothelioma cancer, can be treated by the use of anti cancer drug therapies. These anti cancer drugs act by inhibiting tumor growth through the blocking of cell division and multiplication. This mode of action also unfortunately affects other rapidly replicating cells in the body, cells of the hair and the lining of the intestine are particularly vulnerable, thus leading to the common side effects of anti cancer drugs like hair loss and nausea.
Mesothelioma is notoriously resistant to common anti cancer chemotherapy as result of some reasons. The cancer takes a long time to mature and show symptoms, by the time these symptoms appear the tumor will be well formed with a lot of layers of dead cells that the anti cancer drugs will find it difficult to penetrate, and also by the time a diagnosis of mesothelioma is made, most victims have but a short time left to live so the drugs do not have enough time to exert their maximal effect.
New drugs that have been designed to overcome these challenges and have fewer and lesser side effects include:
Alimta (Pemetrexed)
Alimta was approved by The Food and Drug Administration in February 2004 as a new anti cancer drug for the treatment of mesothelioma. Its mode of action is by inhibiting the creation of thymidine and purine , two enzymes that are vital to cell growth. This stops the mesothelioma cancer cells from multiplying at a very fast rate. Its side effects include nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, mouth sores and low blood counts. Patients are usually placed on vitamin B12 and folic acid supplements to reduce the severity of the side effects.
Cisplatin
This is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug that prevents the reproduction of DNA and is used to treat a number of different cancers including mesothelioma. The FDA approved it in 1978 to treat a number of cancers, and has proved somewhat effective on mesothelioma. Cisplatin however has some very serious side effects which inlude ear damage{ototoxicity} leading to hearing loss, kidney damage, nerve damage, and nausea, and so some oncologist are very reluctant to prescribe this drug to patients.
Tomudex (Raltitrexed)
This drug prevents cancer cells from replicating the DNA that is needed for multiplication and spread of cancer. This drug can be used as a monotherapy or in combination with onconase.
Vinorelbine
This anticancer drug was initially approved by the FDA in 1994 for the treatment of small lung cancer and breast cancer, but recent studies have shown that it could also be effective against mesothelioma, and the drug has little side effect profile. It can also be used in combination with some other chemotherapy drugs.
Onconase (Ranpirnase/P-30 Protein)
Onconase is a chemical taken from the eggs of the leopard frog that blocks protein synthesis which leads to blockage of tumor cell division and growth. It has shown promise as becoming one of the more effective drugs for treating cancer, as survival rates for one and two years are 34.4% and 21.6 respectively, as opposed to six to eight months without treatment.
Veglin
This is an anticancer chemotherapy drug that blocks the growth of tumors in people suffering from lymphoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, and colon and lung cancers. Many oncologists believe that it could be effective in fighting mesothelioma, as Veglin inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a substance that is usually found in very high concentrations in mesothelioma patients. VEGF helps tumors grow new blood vessels which help to supply nutrients to the new tumor cells. This drug inhibits this process thus starving the new cancer cells of their much needed nutrients, leading to their ultimate death.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bello_Kamorudeen
Technorati Tag: mesothelioma
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