Mesothelioma Radiation Therapy

Mesothelioma is a rare and deadly cancer that appears on the protective lining of the organs. It is caused due to exposure to asbestos. There are three types of mesothelioma cancers;

- Pleural mesothelioma: is a cancer affecting the lining of the lungs.

- Peritoneal mesothelioma: is a cancer affecting the lining of the abdomen organs.

- Pericardial mesothelioma: is a cancer affecting the lining of the heart.

None of the therapies alone or in combination are able to cure this type of cancer. However, different treatments may help in prolonging the patient’s life and reducing the discomfort.

One of the treatments for mesothelioma cancers is radiation therapy. It is the oldest and most commonly prescribed treatments for mesothelioma cancer and other cancers as well. Radiation therapy is the use of high dose X-rays of other high energy rays to kill the cancer cells at molecular level. It is also referred to as irradiation therapy, radiotherapy or X-ray therapy. Radiation therapy not only kills these cells but also prevents the cells for reappearing. It is mostly used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. It is used in conjunction with chemotherapy as well. Radiation is very rarely used as the only treatment. Although, radiation can not kill all the cancer cells still it is very useful in reducing the pain and breathlessness of the patient. Its kills the rapidly increasing cells and the tumor reduces down to manageable size.

There are three types of mesothelioma radiation therapy available;

Internal Radiation Therapy: (brachytheropy) using tubes, wires, catheters and needles, small amount of radioactive materials is injected directly into the cancer containing tissues.

External Radiation Therapy: radiation is delivered into the patient to prevent the cancer from growing. It is the most commonly used radiation therapy.

Systemic Therapy: a radioactive is taken orally which circulates in the body.

Side effects of radiation are not as harsh as that of chemotherapy. They are often temporary and stop when the treatment finishes. Side effects may include skin damage; the skin gets dry, red, skin gets darker and sometimes may also peel. Patients may experience fatigue, in some cases it lasts loner than others. The mouth of the patient may also get dry. Sometimes the taste buds of the patient get damaged. Most of these side effects can be cured with proper medication. Diet may be required to change so that the patient can get the needed nutrients.

Less common side effects include diarrhea, nausea, hair loss in the affected area, urinary and bladder change, sexual changes and infertility.

In the process of destroying bad cells some of the healthy cells are also destroyed. Most of these healthy cells can repair themselves but this is the reason for uncomfortable side effects. Benefits of radiation easily over shadow the side effect of this treatment.

Different patients show different levels of sensitivity to radiations. It is important to report all the side effects to the doctor so it can be understood how your body will react to the radiation treatment. The duration and response rate of radiation therapy is not known.