Mesothelioma Cancer Information Article

(mez-uh-thee-lee-YOH-muh) — A tumor in the lining of the chest or abdomen (stomach area).

Treatments and Clinical Trials for Mesothelioma
By Jill Kane
For years, chemotherapy has been used as treatment for to shrink tumors. More recently, doctors have used surgery in combination with chemotherapy with more success.

In addition, newer chemotherapy drugs in combination with surgery has increased survival rates of patients.

Radiation has been used to control cancer symptoms such as pain, but it is not a primary treatment for mesothelioma. It is also used in combination with other treatments for and may possibly assist in killing cancer cells after surgery to prevent further growth of cancer cells in the chest area.

Much more research is required to improve treatment options through clinical trials. Clinical trials are used to evaluate new cancer treatments and their effectiveness. They are an important aspect of improving treatments and the ultimate prognosis of cancer patients.

Mesothelioma patients who participate in clinical trials are able to receive new treatments before they are available to other patients.

Clinical trials have three phases. Phase I trails are the first studies of a new treatment. The goals are to determine the correct dosage and the side effects. Phase I trials are only offered to patients who haven't responded to other approved treatments.

Phase II trials are further studies of treatments proven to be effective from phase I trials. They are a continuation of determining treatment safety and effectiveness on a particular type of cancer.

Phase III trials are used to compare a new treatment method with a currently used treatment program. Doctors can thus determine if the new treatment is more or less effective than the already approved treatment.

A patient must be willing to partcipate and provide written consent prior to starting a clinical trial. The use of clinical trials is very important in improving the treatments used in the fight against mesothelioma.

Over the past few years treatments have improved for treating mesothelioma, but further clinical trials are needed to continue treatment methods.

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What is the mesothelium? The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures. The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women. What is mesothelioma? Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum. How common is mesothelioma? Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age. Additional Related Resources
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