Treatment of mesothelioma cancer

Mesothelioma cancer treatment is applied to both try to cure cancer, and also help the person to live longer with cancer and live a slightly better quality of life.

The type of cancer treatment will depend on what type of cancer the person has, whether it has spread to only one part of the body or to other parts of the body, or how healthy the person is. The treatment method may be used alone or in combination with another method, or if the first method does not work well, another method may have to be used. There are four types of cancer treatment.

• Surgery - Cancer cells are removed from the body.
• Chemotherapy - The use of drugs to kill cancer cells.
• Radiation - Uses high energy rays to kill cancer cells.
• Hormone Therapy - Medications used to stop the production of hormones that can worsen cancer.

While there are some uncomfortable side effects of treatment, these are often the only way to destroy the cancer to give the person a chance to get better.

Some methods are more expensive than others, some are not available everywhere. So unfortunately inequality also determines the type of treatment.

Just as cancer affects people in different ways, so does the treatment of cancer. For example, some people have bad side effects while others may tolerate the treatment better. Or the same treatment may be effective in fighting mesothelioma cancer in one person but may not work so well in another. Medicine also affects people's feelings and mental health in different ways.

Relieve:

When cancer treatment is successful, the mesothelioma cancer is no longer in the body. The word 'relief' is used instead of 'cure', as the cancer is likely to return later. A person may be in a state of partial relief when treatment stops the cancer from growing, but the tumor still remains.

You need regular checkups after cancer treatment. How often it depends on the type of cancer.

• Surgery

While cancer is found in only one part of the body, it may be possible to successfully remove it surgically. Sometimes small cancers can be removed from a local health center. Other cancers require hospitalization for surgery and more time for the person to fully recover.

Chemotherapy or radiation is sometimes used in combination with surgery to kill any cancer that remains untreated surgically.

• Chemotherapy

Some cancers can be treated with drugs. This is called chemotherapy. Chemotherapy drugs are often over-the-counter, although many have become more affordable in recent years. National health programs should make these drugs more accessible so that more people can receive treatment and survive cancer-free.

Chemotherapy can be used:

1. To stop the cancer from spreading to other parts of the body.

2. To slow the growth of cancer or to make the cancer smaller.

3. To destroy cancer.

Sometimes chemotherapy is the only treatment that needs to be applied, but often it is used in combination with another treatment method. For example, chemotherapy can be used to shrink a tumor to facilitate surgical removal. Or it may be used to kill cancer that remains after surgery or radiation.

Chemotherapy drugs are available in different forms. These may come in the form of oral pills or liquids. In most cases, chemotherapy drugs are injected into the arteries. It is also common to use more than one chemotherapy drug.

How often chemotherapy is needed, and for how long, depends on the type of cancer and the chemotherapy medication. It also depends on how your body responds to treatment which may vary from person to person. Chemotherapy may be given daily, weekly, or monthly, but usually during the intervening period of the treatment cycle, the body is given a chance to rest and recover.

Chemotherapy is good for destroying cancer, but it also damages healthy cells. Healthy cells usually heal, but chemotherapy can be very harsh on the body.

Chemotherapy can cause uncomfortable side effects:

• Nausea (See Relieve nausea.)

Itching inside the nose and mouth. The mouth and throat may become red, there may be sores, and sometimes burning pain. The person's taste buds may change, and the food may taste metallic or extra bitter or sweet. To reduce mouth sores, rinse your face several times a day using a mixture of 1 cup safe or cold boiled water, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Fatigue. Take a break when you need to. Walking for 15 minutes every day may increase your strength even more. Drinking plenty of water or other fluids will help.

Hair loss. Chemotherapy kills cancer and other rapidly growing cells, including hair cells. At the end of the treatment, the hair will grow again.

After a few days of treatment the side effects may get worse, but as time goes on they will get better.

Take care of yourself during chemotherapy treatment:

1. Rest when needed.

2. Eat healthy food.

3. Avoid alcohol, which can cause chemotherapy drugs and damage to your liver.

• Radiation (radioactive therapy)

Like chemotherapy, radiation kills cancer cells and other rapidly growing cells. May be used to remove cancer or to slow the growth of cancer. Radiation may be used alone or in combination with surgery or chemotherapy.

Radiation devices transmit high-power rays. If the cancer is detected at an early stage before it has spread to other parts of the body, radiation may be a good treatment. This is because the radiation is transmitted to a specific area so that it does no harm to the whole body, as is the case with chemotherapy. Radiation therapy may remove cancer from the body temporarily or permanently.

Radiation treatment is not painful. You will lie on a medical table under the Birkan device for 15 to 30 minutes. The frequency of treatment and the frequency of treatment will depend on the type of cancer and the size of the tumor.

Common side effects of radiation:

Fatigue. Take your rest when needed. Walking for 15 minutes every day may give you more strength. Drinking plenty of water or other fluids can help.

Anorexia nervosa. It may be easier to eat small amounts than to eat large amounts a few times.

Changes in the skin. The skin on the affected area may turn pink or dark in color. There may be pain, burning, dryness or itching, slight swelling, or rash or blisters.

Nausea

These signs will go away in time.

Take care of yourself during radiation treatment:

1. Rest when needed.

2. Eat healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, protein foods, and whole grains.

3. Take care of the skin where the treatment has been done. Clean the skin thoroughly every day. Avoid things that irritate the skin *, such as tight clothes, powder, or perfume.

• Hormone therapy

Medications that can affect your body's hormones can make a tumor smaller or slow its growth. This is called hormone therapy. These medicines are usually available in pill form. But some are entered. Hormone therapy is used in conjunction with one or more other common treatments for cancer: surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.

Possible side effects of hormone therapy:

1. Fatigue

2. Weight gain

3. Memory problems

4. Mood swings or depression

5. Suddenly feeling very hot, and sweating

6. Loses interest in sex

Helping to reduce nausea

Nausea may be a side effect of chemotherapy or radiation treatment. If nausea prevents you from eating in addition to making you feel bad, you will not get enough nutrition. Your clinic may also have nausea medication. Some people may need to experiment with a number of medications that work best for them. Also try to use these other ways to reduce nausea and feel better during treatment days and weeks.

To keep your stomach calm, eat crunchy biscuits, dried bread, dried ham bread, or other whole grains. Avoid foods that make you feel bad, especially fried or salty foods.

Do not eat more than 2 or 3 times, eat small amounts of food many times, and often take small sips of fluids. Drinking more water than usual throughout the day will help.

After eating, do not lie down immediately and sit for a while.

Use acupressure to relieve nausea. Rotate your fingers in small circles by pressing the three fingers of the wrist on the inside of the hand between the two veins. Press firmly but not too much so that you feel pain. If acupressure works, you will start to feel better in a few minutes.

Drink mint or ginger tea. To make mint tea, mix one teaspoon of mint leaves in a cup of boiling water. Leave it alone for a while before drinking it. To make ginger tea, boil crushed or finely chopped ginger in water for at least 15 minutes.

Where cannabis is legal, some people use it to reduce nausea or increase appetite.

On the days of treatment, some people have a light breakfast before starting treatment. Others avoid it because eating or drinking just before or after the start of treatment increases their desire to vomit. If nausea occurs during treatment, chew a piece of fresh ginger. Wait at least 1 hour after treatment then eat or drink something.

Other treatments for cancer:

People use many other methods to cure cancer or to help alleviate the effects of cancer. These include spiritual healing, hypnosis, meditation, herbal medicine, special diets, exercises, acupuncture, and massage. All of these methods often help people receiving chemotherapy or radiation therapy because they help the body heal faster and help reduce the side effects of cancer treatment. Talk to a health worker about which method will work best together. These methods may also help reduce the anxiety or depression commonly seen in people with cancer, so that they can help you feel better. And these will help people who are dying of cancer, are not trying to get treatment, or are not trying to get other treatments to feel more comfortable. There is no evidence that these methods alone can cure cancer.

Unfortunately, there are many more people, including doctors, who claim that they have special or secret treatments to cure cancer. Sadly, these false promises cost people a lot of money or delay in getting treatment that could have helped them.

Treatment of mesothelioma cancer