Mesothelioma Treatment Overview

The treatment of mesothelioma is a very complex procedure. Quite unlike the other forms of cancer the treatment of mesothelioma cannot guarantee a permanent cure of the patient. The various advancements in the field of medical technology can at best assure that the remaining life of the patient is pain free and comfortable. In some instances it has been observed that after undergoing several treatments the patient shows no sign of the disease. However such cases are rare. Some of the latest technologies that have been used in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma are:

Mesothelioma Immunotherapy:
This method is one method that has found favor with the medical community. Another name for this method is the biological therapy method. The immune system of the body is the natural mechanism through which it fights the invasion of the harmful foreign particles like bacteria and virus. The main aim of the medical scientists is to strengthen the immune system of the patient and also to stop the process through which the normal healthy cells get transformed into the cancerous cells. There are generally two types of immunotherapy that are used by the medical scientists. These therapies are the ones using non-specific imunomodulating agents and biological response modifiers.

Mesothelioma Gene Therapy:
The medical scientists have discovered that in a patient suffering from mesothelioma a particular gene in the DNA structure is altered. This development happens because of the formation of cancerous tissues. The medical scientists try to rectify the anomaly in the gene structure at the DNA level itself. In general there are two types of gene therapies.

The replacement gene therapy- In this therapy the mutated gene is replaced by the healthy gene. The main aim is to promote the healthy growth of cells and also to stop the process of angiogenesis which generally aids the development of cancerous cells.
The knockout Gene Therapy- In this therapy the aim of the scientist is to target the gene that produces products that aid the development of the cancerous cells. These products are destroyed and in the process the cancerous cells are also destroyed.