Posts Tagged ‘Chemotherapy’

Side Effects of Chemotherapy in Treatment of Mesothelioma Cancers

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

Mesothelioma cancers cells develop and multiply more quickly than normal and ordinary cells, but also some normal and ordinary cells also multiply rapidly, most particularly the ones in the system of reproduction, digestive tract, and follicles of hair. The side effects happens as a result of the damage done to normal and ordinary cells from treatment of mesothelioma cancers.

The kind of side effects mesothelioma patients pass through and the severity of the effects, relies on the kind of chemotherapy mesothelioma patients are undergoing, the pharmacology of the drugs, dosage administered and how their body reacts to this type of treatment of mesothelioma. Types of pain Before chemotherapy treatment begins and starts, mesothelioma patients will be told to sign an agreeement form. Before signing the form, make sure your doctor gives you adequate and all informations of all the facts as regarding the chemotherapy treatment he/she will be administering, also to include necessary and adequate information about the chemotherapy drug or combination of chemotherapy drugs to be administered, the side effects, and risks involved in using each chemotherapy drugs, the amount of chemotherapy treatment of mesothelioma you will undergo and how frequent, and whether you will under a hospital stay, or admission or as an outpatient basis.

Anti-nausea treatment for chemotherapy mesothelioma patients also play a vital role in the treatment of mesothelioma cancers.

Nausea is often times a side effect of mesothelioma treatments.

Mild and temporary side effects such as nausea and vomiting, anorexia, loss of hair, and mouth sores. If some blood producing cells are damaged, there could be low blood cell count. This could also lead to a substantial or high risk of infection, blood klotting process could be impaired after minor cuts or injuries, and experiencing exhaustion or shortness of breath could also be seen… get more info …

Mesothelioma Portal – Get more info about mesothelioma treatment ways, pathology, side effects, diagnosis and symptoms here

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Recent Research Suggests Chemotherapy Ineffective for Mesothelioma Victims

Monday, March 8th, 2010

A UK medical journal, The Lancet, released disturbing results of a study finding no benefit of chemotherapy on patients suffering from malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).


The research, considered a setback for scientists seeking treatment for the condition, was conducted by Nicholas J. Vogelzang, MD, director of the Nevada Cancer Institute in Las Vegas, and was released in May 2008.


Chemotherapy Ineffective Mesothelioma Treatment


The study found that chemotherapy not only did not offer any improvement among mesothelioma patients but was found to have no significant impact whatsoever on survival rate of victims.


According to the study, the median average of survival rate between victims who received an active symptom control (ASC) versus those who received the same treatment plus chemotherapy was less than a month apart, suggesting no beneficial impact, although, the study did suggest further investigation into treatments of ASC and chemotherapy were likely required.


What is Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma?


MPM is considered an advanced and more severe form of malignant mesothelioma and has been characterized as an aggressive tumor with poor prognosis, according to a study published in The Oncologist, an international medical journal, in 2007. The cancer typically affects an individual’s lungs and causes extreme difficulties when breathing.


The condition is also difficult to treat because of the high rate of misdiagnosis among patients. Unfortunately, the incidence of this condition has also been on the rise, and experts speculate that through the next 10 to 20 years, the number will only increase.


Mesothelioma Causes


For years, mesothelioma has been linked to the inhalation of vermiculite asbestos fibers and dust. Vermiculite is a mineral that was heavily mined. During the 20th century, several vermiculite mines, although the exact number is unknown, were functional in the United States, with countless other mines in operation throughout the world.


The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently in charge of regulating and issuing guidelines for the safe removal and cleanup of asbestos in homes and building throughout the country. However, there is a large number, although estimates are not clear, of structures with asbestos-ridden insulation currently in the United States and improper exposure to such could increase risk of developing a form of mesothelioma.


Additional Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment Options


While the unfortunate truth is that malignant pleural mesothelioma is usually fatal among victims, there are a few treatment options for managing the disease, however these often depend upon the symptoms and stage of the illness.


Surgery is the most common mesothelioma treatment, although a study released in July 2007 in The Oncologist emphasized that the role of surgery in managing MPM is debatable. However, the three main surgical techniques used to manage MPM are pleurodesis, pleurectomy/decorication (P/D) and extrapleural pnemonectomy (EPP).


The study noted that as of yet, there have been no controlled studies determining whether one surgical procedure is better than another. Of the surgical procedures, the P/D and EPP methods aim for local control of the disease and while P/D has a limited morbidity, EPP has between 1.5 to 5 percent mortality rates.


It is often recommended that individuals who suffer from this type of mesothelioma or any form of mesothelioma locate an experienced mesothelioma attorney. Because of the high costs and technical difficulties associated with mesothelioma treatment, a mesothelioma lawsuit may potentially offer relief in the form of monetary compensation, especially since mesothelioma is considered by some to have been highly preventable.

Learn more about mesothelioma and other various treatments at http://mesothelioma.legalview.com/. Also, visit the LegalView homepage and peruse the extensive library of legal issues such as the Levaquin side effects or the Digitek digoxin recall or visit the revamped brain injury portal at http://brain-injury.legalview.com/.

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Information on Chemotherapy of Mesothelioma Treatment

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Mesothelioma chemotherapy is often one component of mesothelioma treatment. There are three basic approaches to treating mesothelioma disease such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemogtherapy, are potentially frightening to a patient. Chemotherapy is possibly a little more difficult to penetrate rationally, and weigh the risks, versus rewards. Certainly, the list of possible side effects is quite intimidating.

If surgery is an option for you, it may be followed by radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy in order to try to kill the microscopic cancer cells that remain in your body. The chemotherapy agents that your doctor selects will often be a combination or recipe of drugs that when used together have better outcomes than when used by themselves.

After response to the mesothelioma treatment has been determined, the following criteria will be used to decide whether chemotherapy should continue:

• If there is shrinkage of the tumor, or the disease is kept stable, chemotherapy may be continued for as long as it can be tolerated and there is no disease progression.
• If there is continued disease progression, chemotherapy will be stopped, and the patient will be given alternative options.

The purpose of setting mesothelioma chemotherapy is to make treatment as effective, timely and trouble-free as possible, but while the drugs are working to kill cancer cells, they may also affect healthy cells causing side effects.

Common Side Effects of Mesothelioma Chemotherapy Includes:
-Fever of, or greater than 101 degrees
-Nausea
-Diarrhea or constipation
-Fatigue
-Tingling or numbness in the fingers or toes
-Ringing in the ears
-Bruises or rashes
-Sores in the mouth or throat

-Reduced white blood cell count {neutropenia} making you more prone to infections.

Mesothelioma Chemotherapy is important for the patients who have been badly affected by this dangerous disease. Mesothelioma chemotherapy should be taken on time before it becomes urgent for the patient. Lots of mesothelioma treatment centers are found around but finding the best and reliable mesothelioma treatment center would help you as per as proper mesothelioma treatments are concerned.

Jeff is an expert author writing articles on Mesothelioma Chemotherapy for several years. If you need any information or help regarding new mesothelioma treatment please contact us.

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Alimta & Cisplatin Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma Patients

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Chemotherapy is often used in conjunction with surgery and/or radiation treatments for cancer. Chemotherapy can be used by itself in cases where the patient is not a candidate for surgery. In 2004, pemetrexed, also commercially known by its brand name Alimta, became the first chemical treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration specifically in the use of treating mesothelioma patients, a historic event for victims of the asbestos related cancer.

Alimta is only one half of the chemical equation, however. It is used as a combination drug in conjunction with Cisplatin, a platinum based chemical solution for a wide range of cancer patients. Together, the Alimta-Cisplatin combination can be used to prepare candidates for pre-surgery or assist with post-surgery, reducing or outright destroying tumors in the body. For non-surgical candidates, the combination has shown more success in the survival rate of patients than other forms of chemical or radiation treatments.

The Alimta and Cisplatin chemotherapy process is not a cure for malignant mesothelioma, but its usage has been proven to extend the life-span by an average of at least three months. By itself this may not seem to be very helpful, but if a patient is able to become eligible for surgical removal of the cancerous tumor then in that circumstance, the drug will have helped save a life.

Before and after the chemical procedure begins, the patient will be given Vitamin B12 and folic acid. In addition, the day before and after the treatment, a doctor will prescribe a corticosteroid, reducing the chance of an epidermal reaction.

Alimta is taken intravenously for approximately ten minutes every twenty-one days, and thirty minutes later Cisplatin will then be administered. Depending on the patient’s initial response to Cisplatin, the dosage may be reduced or increased. It is important that in attempting to cure the cancer that the liver is not permanently injured.

There are side-effects. This is because chemical therapy is not a pinpoint accurate solution for cancer as surgery is. That is to say, healthy cells will be affected along with the cancerous ones, and this is what causes the side-effects. There is no way to counter this properly, as chemotherapy is meant to kill the cancer cells and so one might think of the healthy ones too close to the cancerous ones as innocent bystander victims in the war against the disease.

The side-effects of Alimta include loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, mouth sores, skin rash, decrease of red cells which may result in greater risk of infection, decrease of white cells which may lead to anemia, decrease in platelets which may result in bruising and bleeding. The major side effects associated with Cisplatin include kidney damage, nerve damage, hearing loss, and hair loss.

Allergic reactions to Alimta are possible, and patients and those caring for them should be aware of the symptoms if a change in chemical treatment is necessary. Symptoms of an allergic reaction include swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat, fever greater than 100.4 Fahrenheit, or hives.

Donald Nye is a respected researcher and writer that has been writing about asbestos-related health issues, such as mesothelioma, since 1987.

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Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Mesothelioma is a cancerous disease that affects the serous linings of various internal organs in the human body. Among them, the lungs, heart and the stomach are the mostly affected.

It is estimated that each year, 2,000 new cases of Mesothelioma are reported. The patients suffering from this cancerous disease have had prior exposure to asbestos, which is considered to be the only known cause of Mesothelioma.

Mesotheliomic patients are often told of the short survival duration of 6 â?? 12 months. But doctors specialized in treating malignant Mesothelioma at leading cancer centers expect better survival rates. Though Mesothelioma causes immense pain and suffering to the victim along with short life expectancy, certain treatments have resulted in the successful reduction and removal of the cancerous tumors of Mesothelioma.

Treatment of Mesothelioma depends on many factors, including the stage of the cancer, the circulation of the malignant cells, pathology reports determining the nature of the cancer cells and patientâ??s age and health. Following is a detail description of the options for Mesothelioma Treatment.

CHEMOTHERAPY:

Chemotherapy is a â??systematic treatmentâ? of Mesothelioma that uses drugs, chemicals and medicines in an efficient manner to kill cancer cells. It is given to patients in either pills form or is injected directly into the body. In some cases, the medicines are directly inserted into the chest, known as intrapleural chemotherapy, or into the abdomen, known as intraperitoneal chemotherapy, to destroy the growth of cancerous cells. It is also given to patients before and after a surgery to limit the growth of Mesothelioma cancer.

The widely used pemetrexed, Alimta ®, is given in combination of Cisplatin (a standard platinum compound) to treat pleural Mesothelioma. The drug was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in February, 2004. The working of this drug is simple: it enters the blood stream of a patient and kills the cancer cells throughout the body, while stopping the malignant cell growth. The drug has some side-effects for which vitamin B 12 and folic acid is given to the patients undergoing this treatment.

Laura Russell is a professional health writer having expertise in the field of Mesothelioma Cancer. To view more of her articles, please visit: Mesothelioma Cancer

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