Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses chemical substances. When cancer occurs, abnormal cells continue to divide uncontrolled. Chemotherapy drugs aim to destroy cancer cells by stopping them from multiplying.

Chemotherapy can be used to reach different objectives, depending on the stage of the cancer and the age and overall health of the patient. While chemotherapy for mesothelioma is not curative, it has several goals. Some objectives of chemotherapy include controlling the cancer and relieving symptoms. Chemotherapy also aims to shrink tumors and destroy microscopic disease that lingers after surgery.

The most common method in administering chemotherapy is through a vein in the hand or lower arm. Giving drugs intravenously allows for quick entry into the blood stream. Drugs can also be given through catheters or ports. Catheters are thin, flexible tubes placed in a vein which can be connected to a port. A port is a small, round disc put under the skin of the chest. In intraperitoneal chemotherapy, a catheter is inserted through the abdominal wall, where drugs are infused into the abdominal cavity.

How often you will receive chemotherapy will be determined by your physician, who will consider:

• The stage of your cancer
• The kind of drugs you receive
• The expected toxicity of the drugs
• The time needed for your body to recover from these toxicities
• Whether the aim of the chemotherapy is to control the growth of the cancer or to relieve symptoms of the disease

Chemotherapy treatment is generally administered in cycles, which is a period of treatment followed by a time of rest. This cycle allows the drugs to attack the cancer cells and then allows the normal cells a period to recover. For patients with mesothelioma, the common treatment is a combination of Alimta and cisplatin given intravenously. This treatment includes a 10 minute infusion of Alimta followed by two hours of cisplatin, administered in 21 day cycles.

The number of treatment cycles varies. Usually three to four cycles are given before a response is evaluated. After this, the doctor will decide whether chemotherapy should continue. If the tumor shrinks or the disease is stable, chemotherapy can continue. If the disease continues to progress, chemotherapy will be stopped and other options will be offered.