Mesothelioma Law Firms

Posts Tagged ‘Treating’

Part 1 of 9 in a series of videos defining some of the rare types of cancers the physicians at Marshfield Clinic and staff at Ministry Health Care – St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield, WI. In this segment William Hocking MD at Marshield Clinic introduces two patients who have been diagnosed with rare cancer types. He will also introduce Kristen Gerndt, MD, interventional radiologist, Sonjoy Saha, MD, surgical oncologist, and Seth Fagbemi, MD, hematologist/medical oncologist. The first patient is diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, unresectable. The treatment for this disease is trans-catheter arterial chemoembolization and is performed by Gerndt. The second patient’s diagnosis is peritoneal mesothelioma. The treatment, performed by Saha, is cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). To view webcast in its entirety please visit www.marshfieldclinic.org

In the search for alternative treatments to help comfort cancer patients, aromatherapy has been used to provide palliative care in conjunction with traditional treatments. Scientific evidence shows that while the effects are almost completely psychological, they have a positive effect on patients’ emotional and mental states, which can have a tremendous effect on physical discomfort.

As scientists learn more about the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, new drugs are being developed to provide palliative relief. Alimta, a drug released in 2006, became the first drug approved by the FDA for patients with inoperable mesothelioma.

Efforts to treat the asbestos cancer mesothelioma are increasing as scientists learn more about this rare disease. Gene therapy which replaces the malfunctioning DNA in cancer cells is a treatment that is showing promise as progress is made.

Treating mesothelioma as a chronic disease

Gemcitabine, a chemotherapy drug administered to combat numerous types of cancer, is being used to treat mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos. It works by interfering with the process of DNA replication in rapidly developing cancer cells, thereby stopping the spread of harmful growths.

Carboplatin, a drug used to combat the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, generally has more mild side effects than most other chemotherapeutical treatments. However, it is also generally less effective, and must be given in higher doses to match the progress of other, more powerful drugs.