Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy is a highly specialized and specific form of treatment that is most often used to treat skin cancers, some types of lung cancer, and pleural mesothelioma.


Photodynamic therapy uses light energy to kill cancer cells.
However, this treatment is usually unsuitable for patients with metastasized cancer; it is most effective in patients who have localized disease.

This type of therapy involves the use of light energy to kill cancer cells. In photodynamic therapy treatment, the patient is given an intravenous solution of a medication that makes cancer cells highly sensitive to a particular kind of light.

One to three days after this treatment, the patient is exposed to the light, and cancer cells that have absorbed the medication are killed.

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Mesothelioma Radiation

Radiation therapy, or "ionizing radiation", is used to kill cancer cells and to limit the spread of cancer. For patients with mesothelioma, radiation therapy is most often used in conjunction with surgery.


Radiation is often used in conjunction with surgery.
However, in some cases radiation may be used as a stand-alone treatment to relieve pain and other symptoms associated with mesothelioma. In either case, it is rare for radiation therapy to provide more than short-term symptomatic relief.

Mesothelioma patients may receive one of two types of radiation therapies, depending on whether or not they are suitable candidates for either procedure.

External beam radiation therapy is the traditional type of radiation therapy, where tumors are bombarded with beams of radiation to kill cancer cells. Brachytherapy is a newer type of radiation treatment. It involves tiny radioactive rods which are implanted within a tumor to provide a strong, concentrated dose of radiation to tumors while doing very little damage to surrounding healthy tissue.

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Mesothelioma Surgery

Surgical treatments for mesothelioma include three main types - diagnostic surgery, curative surgery, and palliative surgery. Some types of surgery fall into more than one category.


Surgery can only be performed during mesothelioma stages I and II.
For example, thoracentesis may be used as a diagnostic procedure, and as a palliative treatment to provide symptomatic relief. Only curative surgery can potentially remove all cancer from a patient with mesothelioma.

However, for curative surgery to be effective, it is particularly important that mesothelioma be diagnosed as early as possible. Unfortunately, mesothelioma is not usually diagnosed until it reaches Stage III or IV, when surgery is not an option.

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Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

Most forms of chemotherapy involve the intravenous administration of drugs such as Alimta and Cisplatin. Chemotherapeutic drugs are targeted to kill cells that are rapidly dividing by interfering with processes that occur during cell division.

Chemotherapy is an effective treatment option but comes with unpleasant side effects.
However, while cancer cells themselves divide rapidly, so do some types of healthy cells, causing some of the unpleasant side effects that are often associated with this form of treatment. Though older chemotherapy medications seemed to do little to fight mesothelioma, newer chemotherapy drugs are showing much promise.

A relatively new form of chemotherapy called heated chemotherapy is an option for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma.

This treatment is carried out following surgery, and involves the perfusion of heated chemotherapeutic medications into the peritoneum.

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Mesothelioma Treatment

There are several mesothelioma treatment options including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.
There are several types of treatment available for patients with mesothelioma, some recommended more frequently than others. The most commonly used treatments are surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. In addition, some experimental treatments are becoming more widely used, or are showing some encouraging results in clinical trials. These treatments include photodynamic therapy, gene therapy, and immunotherapy, among others.

Most of these treatments are not used in isolation. In many cases, treatment may consist of a combination of therapies. For example, surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible may be followed by radiotherapy or chemotherapy to remove residual cancer cells. This is one of the most common treatment options for mesothelioma among those who are candidates for surgery.

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with mesothelioma it is likely you’re interested in the various treatment options available. Working with your doctor to create the best treatment plan is an important step. Knowing what the treatment plan will do to help treat the cancer often helps patients and their families understand the process and feel more comfortable.

We offer a complimentary informative packet that includes all the information on our Web site and additional information about available treatment options that you may take with you continually educate yourself and those around you about mesothelioma. Click here to receive your packet overnight.

A number of alternative therapies can also be combined with traditional treatment options. Many patients choose to add alternative therapies such as massage, acupuncture, or TENS therapy to their conventional treatment approach in an effort to enhance or compliment the treatment process. A variety of alternative therapies, including aromatherapy, meditation, or yoga, are often added to a treatment regimen to provide pain relief and foster relaxation.

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Mesothelioma Cure

Though a cure for mesothelioma does not currently exist, many patients elect to undergo treatment to combat the cancer. Patients may also wish to participate in clinical trials conducted to test up-and-coming treatments and medications before they are released and recommended for public use. Clinical trials are extremely important in the search for a mesothelioma cure. Knowledge gained from study results greatly help medical professionals come closer to the discovery of a cure for mesothelioma.


5-Year Survival Rates for Mesothelioma.
Certain doctors such as Dr. David Sugarbaker have actively pursued better treatment options for mesothelioma patients and have been instrumental in the quest for a cure. Utilizing a multi-modal approach, Dr. Sugarbaker has made great strides in mesothelioma treatment and has increased survival rates for mesothelioma patients.

Learning that a cure does not exist can be discouraging to mesothelioma patients and their loved ones, but stories of survivors continue to surface, instilling hope in those affected by the cancer.

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Pain Management

Mesothelioma patients often suffer from a great deal of pain as a result of their illness. Tumors can press on nerves, organs or bones causing pain ranging from mild to severe. There can also be pain associated with the mesothelioma treatment itself - whether treatment is from surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Psychological pain associated with the knowledge that you have cancer or the belief that the demands of cancer are burdensome to family and friends can be difficult, as well.

The three most common types of pain are:

•chronic pain may vary from mild to severe and persists over a long period of time
•acute pain is short in duration, quite sudden and severe
•breakthrough pain describes when someone experiences pain when his or her chronic pain is normally controlled by medication
Many patients are unaware of the numerous resources available that can help them feel better - some of them at no cost. There is no benefit to enduring this pain as it can cause problems with sleep, activity and movement, make a patient less likely to eat, increase depression, and interfere with how a patient interacts with family and friends. There are several things that can be done to control pain, but you must help your doctor assess your pain and outline a treatment plan. Untreated, pain can diminish a patient’s quality of life.

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Coping with Serious Illness

When a loved one receives a diagnosis of a life threatening illness the patient and his or her family may experience pain and grief before the illness has run its course, and, if treatment is unsuccessful, long after the loved one has passed away. Grief is a normal process that everyone goes through, and you should remember that there is no right way to deal with this pain. Each individual experiences grief differently and uniquely, and it can be experienced in many ways - including mentally, physically, socially and emotionally.

The most important thing to remember is that patients and loved ones are not alone, and that there are numerous resources available to help work through the pain that patients may be experiencing: books, websites, hospice groups, support groups, counselors, priests or other religious figures, family and friends. All of these can help patients both acknowledge their feelings and work through them as they deal with this difficult time.

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Asbestos-Related Diseases

Asbestos exposure is associated with the following diseases and conditions:

Asbestosis is the chronic inflammation and subsequent scarring of the lung that causes shortness of breath and is linked with an increased risk of lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the abnormal cell growth of lung tissues. Asbestos exposure can cause or contribute to lung cancer, most commonly in patients with a significant smoking history. Cigarette smoke has a synergistic effect with asbestos and can multiply the relative risks of developing lung cancer up to 50 fold.

Pleural plaques is a condition describing the presence of irregular, scarred tissue outside lining of the lung (pleura).

Pleural disease occurs when the scarring of the lung's lining is sufficient enough to cause restrictive lung disease.

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Mesothelioma Treatment

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer which occurs in the lining of the lung (the pleura) or in the abdomen (the peritoneum). In very rare cases, mesothelioma can occur in other areas of the body as well. Knowledge of available mesothelioma treatment options can be an essential weapon in the fight against the progression of this deadly disease.

If you have questions or would like to explore your legal rights regarding a potential asbestos or mesothelioma case, please contact attorney John Herrick or Anne McGinness Kearse by email or call +1 800.923.4237.

Treatment Factors and Options


Treatment decisions are based on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient’s age and general health. The three types of standard treatments used are:

•surgery (removing the cancer)
•radiation therapy (using targeted high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells)
•chemotherapy (using drugs to destroy the cancer)
In order to achieve the best possible results, these treatments may be combined. Clinical trials for immunotherapy and gene therapy are also in progress for treatment of mesothelioma.

The chance of recovery for a person with mesothelioma depends on several factors, including:

•age of the patient
•appearance of the cells under a microscope
•location of the cancer
•response to treatment
•size of the cancer
•stage or spread of the cancer throughout the body
Treatment for the Stages of Mesothelioma
Stage I
An increasing number of patients with Stage I mesothelioma have their cancer surgically removed. Supplemental chemotherapy or radiation therapy may be added to treatment. Radiation therapy may be used for patients whose general health is too poor to tolerate a major operation.

Stages II, III
Treatment options include care to provide relief of symptoms, such as removing the fluid that has accumulated in the chest cavity, operations to remove as much of the tumor as possible and radiation therapy or chemotherapy aimed at easing symptoms. Patients in these stages may consider enrolling in clinical trials evaluating the newest treatment possibilities at large medical centers.

Stage IV
Stage IV mesothelioma indicates that the cancer has spread to distant organs. If any aggressive therapy is used, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, doctors should clearly explain the goals and potential outcome to the patient and family.

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Mesothelioma Diagnosis

As with all diseases, a doctor begins the mesothelioma diagnosis by doing a complete physical exam and reviewing your medical history. Because mesothelioma is almost always attributable to asbestos exposure, you should report the extent, if any, of your exposure to your doctor.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma
The symptoms associated with mesothelioma occur as a result of fluid build-up in the lungs, chest cavity or abdomen. Frequently, mesothelioma victims suffer from persistent cough, chest pain, back pain, shortness of breath, an enlarged abdomen and hoarseness.

Medical Tests and Diagnosis
Untreated mesothelioma symptoms will eventually become more severe. When a doctor suspects mesothelioma, he/she may order an MRI, CT scan and/or x-ray to determine if there is any fluid build-up in the chest cavity. If it turns out that the chest or abdomen is congested with fluid, the doctor will generally perform a fine needle aspiration by inserting a needle into the chest cavity in order to remove excess fluid, which will be examined for malignant cells.

Usually doctors follow up on the fluid sample with a biopsy. If mesothelioma is suspected but not confirmed by the biopsy, an additional procedure called a bronchoscopy may be performed, during which a tube with a tiny camera on the end is inserted through the nose or mouth into the lungs. In some circumstances, a surgeon may open the chest or abdominal cavity.

Identifying the Stages of Mesothelioma
In order to make treatment decisions, your doctor may perform additional tests to determine if cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. This process is known as staging. When mesothelioma is found in the lining of the chest cavity near the lung, heart or diaphragm without spreading, the cancer is considered localized and is categorized as Stage I.

Advanced mesothelioma that has spread beyond these locations is defined as Stages II, III, or IV depending on how far the malignant cancer has spread. Mesothelioma is considered recurrent when the malignant growth reappears following treatment.

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Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which occurs in the mesothelial cells that line the lung, chest cavity, abdominal cavity, heart cavity and the outer surface of most internal organs. Because asbestos fibers are smaller than airborne particles, they can puncture the lungs and become lodged in the pleura, and the irritation creates the change in the cells which causes the mesothelioma.

Although mesothelioma tumors can be benign (noncancerous), most cases are malignant (cancerous). Mesothelioma is primarily associated with asbestos exposure and can occur 20 to 60 years after the initial exposure. The most common symptoms include:

•anemia
•back pain
•chest pain
•cough
•enlarged abdomen
•fever
•hoarseness
•recurrent build-up of fluid in the lungs
•shortness of breath
•weight loss
Mesothelioma is an aggressive type of cancer. Unfortunately, the overall prognosis for patients with malignant mesothelioma remains poor. Treatment decisions are based on several different factors and may involve a combination of methods.

Often, by the time symptoms appear and a diagnosis is made, the disease is advanced. The average length of survival is around one to two years from diagnosis, and only about 7% of those diagnosed survive for five years or more. Research scientists and doctors, however, are pursuing several promising improvements in treatment

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Neurological Cancers

In the US it is estimated that 21,810 people (11,780 men and 10,030 women) were diagnosed with and 13,070 people died of cancer of the brain in 2008. Estimates suggest 0.61% (1 in 165) people will be diagnosed cancer of the brain and other nervous system during their lifetime.

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Skin Cancers

In the US it is estimated that 67,720 people (38,150 men and 29,570 women) were diagnosed with and 11,200 people died of cancer of the skin in 2008. The age-adjusted death rate was 3.5 per 100,000 men and women per year, based on patients who died in 2001-2005 in the US.

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Lung Cancers

In the US it is estimated that 215,020 people (114,690 men and 100,330 women) were diagnosed with and 161,840 men people died of cancer of the lung in 2008. Estimates suggest 6.94% (1 in 14) men and women will be diagnosed with cancer of the lung during their lifetime.

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Genitourinary Cancers

In the US it is estimated that 68,810 people (51,230 men and 17,580 women) were diagnosed with and 14,100 people died of cancer of the urinary bladder in 2008. Estimates suggest 2.38% (1 in 42) people will be diagnosed with cancer of the urinary bladder during their lifetime.

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Gastrointestinal Cancers

In the US it is estimated that 21,500 people (13,190 men and 8,310 women) were diagnosed with and 10,880 people died of stomach cancer in 2008. Estimates suggest 0.89% (1 in 113) of people born today will be diagnosed with cancer of the stomach at some time during their lifetime.

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Liver Cancers

Liver Cancers In the US it is estimated that 21,370 people (15,190 men and 6,180 women) will be diagnosed with and 18,410 people will die of cancer of the liver in 2008. Estimates suggest 0.69% (1 in 145) of people born today will be diagnosed with liver cancer at some time during their lifetime.

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Breast Cancer

In the US in 2008, it was estimated that 2,477,847 women were living with breast cancer, 182,460 women were diagnosed and 40,480 women died of breast cancer. Estimates suggest 12.03% of women born today will be diagnosed with cancer of the breast at some time during their lifetime.

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