Radiation therapy
With radiation therapy, it is possible to damage or destroy cancer cells through an intensive treatment of X-rays. Although not a cure for mesothelioma, radiation may be used at various stages of treatment of malignant mesothelioma. Often, radiation is the main treatment for patients with health problems. Radiation can also be used to eliminate small formations of cancer cells that surgery could ignore. When radiation is used in conjunction with surgery, radiation is known as adjuvant.
* External beam radiation
The form of radiation therapy is best known for external irradiation. A machine similar to the X-ray focusing powerful beams of light directly into the tumor, but from outside the body, thus ending the cancer cells under the skin.
* Internal Radiation (Brachytherapy)
When the radiation source is placed inside the body, radiation therapy is called brachytherapy. In the case of mesothelioma, the active materials are placed directly into the chest or abdomen.
Surgery might be recommended to remove cancerous tissue or to relieve symptoms associated with mesothelioma. Mesothelioma of the peritoneum can cause a concentration of fluid in the abdomen, in a process known as peritoneal effusion. There is a surgery of peritoneal mesothelioma involves inserting a needle into the abdomen to drain excess fluid. This helps to lower the pressure on internal organs and in turn, helps prevent infection risks associated with fluid accumulation.
PET
The National Institute against Cancer states that: “
