Mesothelioma Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy can be useful in combating the spread of
tumors and can also shrink them. Though it is not
technically thought of as a curative procedure,
chemotherapy when used in conjunction with other
treatments can be very effective.
Many people mistake the term chemotherapy for
radiation treatment but the two are not the same.
Chemotherapy relies on anticancer agents and drugs to
stop cancerous growths like those caused by
mesothelioma.
There are many different reasons to use chemotherapy
but they all depend on the end goal, stage of cancer,
and how early it is detected. For mesothelioma
patients, chemotherapy is often used in conjunction
with surgeries or in place of them if the patient
isnt fit for surgery.
Chemotherapy is administered through a vein and often
the patient will get a catheter inserted into their
arm. This is so they dont have to get repeated needle
pokes which can be painful and uncomfortable.
Side effects of chemotherapy are fairly common and
occur because the drugs may do damage to normal cells
in addition to the cancerous ones. This can cause
digestive problems, hair loss, and many other types of
side effects that your doctor will advise you of.
Chemotherapy isnt right for every single patient. If
you have caught the mesothelioma very early on, it
could be simply removed by surgery.
Chemotherapy can also be pretty expensive but if the
treatment is needed, you may be able to have some or
all of the costs paid for by whoever exposed you. This
could be a factory or mine and odds are they have paid
out to many people already.
