Mesothelioma Approaches

There are some experimental methods that have emerged over the years. Though they are still in the initial stages these approaches are considered to be breakthroughs when it comes to treating mesothelioma.

1. Gene therapy is an experimental medical intervention that involves altering the patient’s genetic material of living cells to fight or prevent disease. The therapy involves injecting a modified gene directly into a patient’s chest cavity. The goal of gene therapy is to supply cells with healthy copies of missing or altered genes. Many different strategies are currently under study.

2. Immuno therapy means using the natural defenses of the patient's body to combat, mesothelioma. The practical application of immunotherapy is very complicated. Immunotherapy is designed to repair, stimulate, or enhance the immune system's natural anticancer function. Substances used in immunotherapy, called biological response modifiers (BRMs) alter the interaction between the body's immune defenses and cancer, thereby improving the body's ability to fight disease.

3. Intraoperative Photodynamic Therapy is a new type of treatment that uses special drugs and light to kill cancer cells during surgery. A drug that makes cancer cells more sensitive to light is injected into a vein several days before surgery. During surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible, a special light is used to shine on the pleura. This is useful in treating pleural cancer, which is in the early stages.

4. Onconase is a new chemotherapy drug that is being tested for efficacy in the treatment of mesothelioma. The benefit of Onconase over Doxorubicin (the more commonly used drug) is that Onconase is relatively free of the crippling side effects of traditional chemotherapy