Chemotherapy for the Mesothelioma PatientChemotherapy is the treatment of mesothelioma with drugs that can destroy cancer cells. The drugs are sometimes called chemotherapy "agents" or "medications". Mesothelioma cancer cells differ from normal cells partly because they keep dividing and forming more cells without control. Anticancer drugs destroy cancer cells by stopping them from growing or multiplying. The presence of chemotherapy drugs in the body also hurts or kills healthy cells, especially those that divide quickly, and it is this harm to healthy cells that causes side effects. Because some drugs work better together than alone, two or more drugs are often given at the same time. This is called combination chemotherapy. Other types of drugs may be used to treat your cancer. These may include certain drugs that can block the effect of your body's hormones. Or doctors may use biological therapy, which is treatment with substances that boost the body's own immune system against cancer. Your body usually makes these substances in small amounts to fight cancer and other diseases. These substances can be made in the laboratory and given to patients to destroy cancer cells or change the way the body reacts to a tumor. They may also help the body repair or make new cells destroyed by chemotherapy. Sometimes chemotherapy is the only treatment a patient receives. More often, however, chemotherapy is used in addition to surgery, radiation therapy, and/or biological therapy to:
This website is sponsored by Brad Cooper* of The
Cooper, Hart, Leggiero, & Whitehead, PLLC. Cooper, Hart, Leggiero, & Whitehead is located in The Woodlands, Texas
(Greater Houston Area) and can be reached toll free at 1-800-998-9729
for more information on mesothelioma. Brad Cooper is not a medical
doctor. The information on these pages is for the education of mesothelioma
patients and their families regarding potential medical and legal
options. Patients are advised to consult with a medical doctor.
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The
use of chemotherapy in patients with advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma:
a clinical practice guideline.
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