The chemotherapy used to treat mesothelioma utilizes a combination of chemical agents which are designed to treat the deadly disease. Unfortunately, none of the existent treatments have been successful in treating the disease. Chemotherapy for mesothelioma can be broken into two groups: new mesothelioma and traditional mesothelioma treatment.

About Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy medications have been used to treat cancer starting in the 1940s. New research and technologies have allowed scientists to develop new forms of chemotherapy which are more effective. These types of treatments are usually more effective at treating early cancer cells before they have formed a tumor. Even today’s medications have not been able to penetrate cancer tumors.

There are several drugs which are available to treat cancer. However, these chemotherapy therapies have yet to successfully treat mesothelioma. Similar to medications used in other cancers, mesothelioma chemotherapy drugs attempt to halt cell division of the cancerous cells and cause death of the cells. An example of this is anti-angiogenesis drugs which inhibit blood vessel formation. This prevents tumors from receiving nutrients that are required for growth and metastasis.

One of the most common drugs used for mesothelioma chemotherapy is cisplatin, which is a drug that is platinum-based and is related to the other drugs, oxaliplatin and carboplatin. The drug acts by preventing cancerous cells from undergoing DNA duplication. This prevents the further division of these cells. Cisplatin is typically used along with other drugs such as Veglin, Alimta, and Onconase in chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy Treatments

Chemotherapy is not intended to be a curative measure with mesothelioma as it, as yet, does not have this capability. However, the following treatments may be used to reduce symptoms:

• Combined modality chemotherapy: this form of chemotherapy is typically used along with other treatments such as surgery and radiation. Trimodality therapy is an example of this and combines chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy.
• Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)
• Neoadjuvant chemotherapy or preoperative chemotherapy: this treatment is meant to reduce tumor size before removing the tumor with surgery.
• Adjuvant chemotherapy or postoperative therapy: this treatment is used after surgery to prevent further cancer.
• Palliative chemotherapy: used to treat mesothelioma cancer symptoms as a palliative measure instead of as a curative means.

The dosage of chemotherapy drugs depends on the BSA or body surface area of the person in question. The BSA is used to determine the volume of the body. This strategy to determine dosage is used in order to provide sufficient chemotherapy medications without allowing for dangerous side effects.

Chemotherapy Side Effects

Chemotherapy comes with a host of possible physical and mental side effects. These side effects can include:

• Hair loss
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Anemia (decreased red blood cell count)
• Secondary neoplasm
• Constipation
• Risk of heart disease
• Weakened immune system
• Nephrotoxicity
• Hepatoxicity
• Cardiotoxicity
• Ototoxicity

The type of therapy which is used depends upon the individual patient and the disease’s severity. These treatments may be delivered in either an out-patient or in-patient status.