Mesothelioma Drug Therapy
Traditional Chemotherapy:
This traditional approach uses special anti-cancer (cytotoxic) medicines and chemicals to try to kill the malignant cells. Often, it is offered as an additional therapy alongside radical surgery and/or in combination with radiation therapy or immunotherapy, particularly when the cancer has spread beyond an operable area. Many drugs have been tried; however all have met with only limited success against malignant mesothelioma.
The chemotherapeutic agents can be administered either systemically (in the blood stream) or intrapleurally (in the pleural cavity itself.) These cytotoxic drugs are very potent and can have many severe side effects which you should discuss with your doctor.
Further Resources:
Understanding Chemotherapy - detailed information on chemotherapy, its side effects and current research: http://www.cancerbacup.org.uk/Cancertype/
Mesothelioma/Treatment/Chemotherapy
University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center's information page on chemotherapy: http://www.oncolink.org/types/article.php?c=3&s=5&ss=603&id=6998
Search the National Cancer Institute web site for current chemotherapy trials.
Malignant mesothelioma of the peritoneum is both rare and difficult to treat. Peritoneal perfusion chemotherapy has been used in patients with secondary peritoneal carcinomatosis with promising results. See E. De Bree, et al. - Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma treated by continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion chemotherapy", in Annals of Oncology, 11:753-756.
For another study comparing standard combination chemotherapy with infusional carboplatin, see White, S.C., et al. - "Randomized phase II study of cisplatin-etoposide versus infusional carboplatin in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer and mesothelioma" in Annals of Oncology, February 2000; 11(2):201-206.