Significant exposure to radiation is the conventional treatment for the killing of problematic cancer cells within the body. Radiation effectively eliminates these cells in such a way that they are unable to continue replicating uncontrollably. Often times, chemotherapy and surgery will supplement radiation treatment to help fight cancer.

In the past, high energy X-Rays, photon bombardment, and other techniques were applied to tumors to kill the cancer cells and stop their propagation. Until recent technological advancements, most radiation treatments were administered by machines using radioisotopes.

How Radiation Works

A mutated or damaged cell, whether the result of an error in DNA transcription or exposure to carcinogens, can ignore the signal to stop dividing. This is when cancer occurs. Radiation is a highly effective solution against the unwanted division of cancerous cells, like those caused by mesothelioma, because it is powerful enough to kill all of these cells before they can continue dividing. In undergoing radiation therapy, patients will gradually increase their exposure to radiation to keep any tumors under control. Although radiation has such potent applications in combating pleural mesothelioma, it cannot successfully eliminate all cancerous cells without significantly harming the patient.

Types of Radiation Therapy

The two kinds of radiation therapy are internal and external:

Internal Therapy: This method involves the application of the radioactive material straight to the source of the problem - the tumor. This is done by way of needles, tubes, and other related means of injection. Internal radiation therapy is ideal for applying significant doses of radiation to specific, hard to reach tumors.

External Radiation: This therapy is thought of as the more conventional therapy of the two. This is when the entire body is exposed to radiation for a period of time to stop the division of cancerous cells. This method is especially important when the cancer has metastasized, or spread throughout the body.

Side Effects and Drawbacks of Radiation

The main issue with radiation therapy for mesothelioma patients is that radiation kills cells indiscriminately. This means that the cancerous cells will surely die, but the radiation will also kill healthy cells that are vital to survival. The painful manifestations of this radiation marks the period when these healthy cells are attempting to repair themselves after being damaged by the radiation. There are a number of drugs available to help stifle the side effects to a degree, which doctors and patients agree is a worthy tradeoff of risk and reward. Some of the side effects that the drugs can manage are infertility, vomiting, fatigue, and hair loss.

In approaching prospective treatment methods for mesothelioma, doctors and patients have several things to consider about the tumor. The maturity of the tumor, as indicated by size, and the location are important factors as it pertains to deciding what the best kind of radiation therapy is. In most scenarios, the tumor is literally attacked from all sides to maximize effectiveness. The body will then naturally dispose of the unwanted dead tissue through natural processes. For larger tumors, however, more radiation is needed to get to the real target areas and kill all cancerous cells.