Abdominal Mesothelioma TreatmentResearchers and doctors are striving to improve the mesothelioma treatment. The most commonly used treatment options include radiation, surgery and chemotherapy.Doctors diagnose peritoneal mesothelioma using an examination and tissue sample. A surgeon inserts a needle into the skin of the chest or abdomen to collect fluid or tissue.CytoreductionCytoreduction is a highly effective treatment for patients suffering from peritoneal msothelioma. During this procedure doctors remove the lining of the abdominal cavity, as well as any visible cancerous tissue or tumors. Doctors perform this procedure through an incision in the belly button, or through small incisions around the abdomen. The procedure can last up to 12 hours. The procedure is usually performed with HIPEC which involves chemotherapy drugs that are heated and distributed throughout the abdominal cavity following surgery.Cytoreduction with HIPEC is a complex mesothelioma treatment that is only available at specialized mesothelioma centres. It can improve the patient's outlook dramatically. However, it is not the best choice for all mesothelioma patients, particularly for patients with advanced stage cancer.Specialists in mesothelioma use medical exams to determine whether a patient is able to. They will make use of a CT scan and biopsy results to see how far the mesothelioma been able to spread throughout the body. Then, they will determine if the patient qualifies for HIPEC Cytoreduction.Doctors can also add systemic chemotherapy into the surgical plan. This is typically done prior to surgery to treat cytoreductive cancer or within the first few weeks after the procedure. Following this type of treatment for mesothelioma, patients are not allowed to return to work for a minimum of six weeks.In the course of cytoreduction, doctors might need to combine up to five surgical procedures to completely eliminate mesothelioma cancer cells. They will also need to remove any dead mesothelioma cells and any fluid. To reach the peritoneal space doctors will have to perform a laparotomy or open abdominal surgery. They may have to use another procedure, like colocectomy or bowel resection.A study published in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery revealed that delaying mesothelioma surgery and HIPEC could cause a decrease in the long-term survival rate. Researchers recommend that patients suffering from peritoneal adenocarcinoma should be referred to a center offering this treatment. The authors also suggest that health insurers cover this surgery for patients suffering from mesothelioma. In some cases veterans can receive this treatment via VA benefits.Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)HIPEC is a cytoreduction surgery that involves heating chemotherapy to kill cancerous cells left over after surgery. During the procedure, surgeons place catheters into the abdomen and connect them with perfusion systems that circulate drug solution into and out of the body. The procedure typically takes between 30 and 120 minutes. During treatment, doctors will move back and forth on the abdomen of the patient to ensure the medicine reaches every inch of the cavity. Once the chemotherapy has been completed and the patient is cured, doctors will drain the body of the fluid and then stitch the wound and transport patients to a hospital for intensive care.Doctors typically employ a mixture of chemotherapy drugs during HIPEC such as carboplatin the cisplatin drug and doxorubicin. They can also utilize different types of chemotherapy drugs, based on the type and stage of the mesothelioma. They can also alter the dosages to improve their effectiveness. During the HIPEC treatment, the surgical team will carefully monitor the patient's temperature and blood pressure to ensure that these important body functions do not suffer.During HIPEC, the surgeons will also employ a cooling system to ensure that the patient's temperature remains stable. This is important, as high temperatures can lead to an increase in toxicity and side effects of some chemotherapy drugs.HIPEC as part of a multimodal approach to treatment has produced promising results in mesothelioma. It can increase the survival rate by a significant amount for younger people and those with smaller tumors. It can also be used to treat malignant ascites - an accumulation of fluid within the abdominal cavity caused by certain types of mesothelioma. However, it's an extremely invasive procedure that should be carried out in university centers with highly experienced mesothelioma experts. Patients should be aware that this kind of treatment could take months to be completed. During this time, patients should have plenty of rest and follow the recommendations of their treatment team to help promote healing and avoid any complications. They should also exercise within their limits and eat an appropriate diet to aid their body in recovering.Therapy with a specific goalMesothelioma, a cancerous tumor is formed in an extremely thin layer of tissues covering most of your internal organs. It affects the lining of your abdomen and chest (peritoneum). Mesothelioma is most often located in the pleura that surrounds your lungs, however it can also be found in the peritoneum surrounding your testicles or the heart. Exposure to asbestos fibers can cause mesothelioma decades before symptoms develop.Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include abdominal pain, swelling of the abdomen as well as weight loss, a buildup of fluid in the abdomen (ascites) and fatigue. The majority of patients experience these symptoms for a couple of months before their doctor determines they have mesothelioma.There are many treatments for the peritoneal sarcoidosis. However, targeted therapy appears to be the most effective. This kind of treatment targets genetic mutations that cause mesothelioma. These drugs can kill cancerous cells without harming healthy cells.Your doctor will determine whether you qualify for targeted treatment by performing a biopsies or checking the results from other tests. They will also determine whether your tumor is a carrier of the molecular targets the drug is designed to target. This can be accomplished with blood tests, a sample of your tumor, or computed tomography (CT) scans.If doctors identify an area of interest, they'll match it up with one of the targeted treatments. treating pleural mesothelioma can prevent cancerous cells from growing, or instruct them to self-destruct. They can be taken as pills or injected via an intravenous drip.The targeted therapy is a treatment option that can be utilized on its own or with other forms of treatment, including surgery and radiation. In certain situations, it can be paired with immunotherapy agents such as Yervoy Opdivo and Tecentriq. These drugs can activate your immune system and help fight cancer.Your doctor will make regular appointments to monitor the progress of your treatment. They will evaluate your condition by conducting tests for blood and X-rays, and determine how effective the targeted therapy has been. They will also inquire about how you're handling any adverse effects of the medication. The doctor will decide if you should continue with targeted therapy, or switch to a different medication.Therapy with radiationMesothelioma can begin in the tissue that covers the lung (pleura) or less frequently, in the tissues in the abdomen (peritoneum). The cancer begins to develop and spread when symptoms appear. The disease is more common among those who have been exposed to asbestos at work.Mesothelioma usually occurs in later stages and is diagnosed when patients experience persistent symptoms that can be caused by other illnesses or conditions. Mesothelioma treatments aim to reduce the tumor and to keep symptoms under control.Doctors use a system called the peritoneal cancer index to determine how advanced a person's mesothelioma. The system divides an abdomen into 13 sections and assigns a numerical value (0-3) depending on the extent of the tumor growth. Doctors then add the numbers to determine the mesothelioma stage. Stage 1 represents the least advanced mesothelioma, while stage 4 represents the most advanced.Doctors also take into consideration the size and extent of the primary tumor when determining if there is a peritoneal msothelioma. They also consider whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes as well as other organs, also known as metastasis.In general the worse the prognosis, the more extensive mesothelioma. There are a myriad of treatment options that can help improve the quality of life of patients.The first step to the best mesothelioma outcome is finding an experienced mesothelioma specialist. This specialist will be able to identify the best treatment based on the type of cancer and stage.Another option for treatment is targeted therapy, which uses drugs to kill cancer cells or stop them from spreading. These medications can be taken in pill form or administered intravenously. The targeted therapy can be used in conjunction with other treatments.At UPMC, doctors offer a cutting edge surgical technique known as HIPEC. This procedure involves a doctor eliminating visible mesothelioma cancers within the abdominal cavity and the surrounding areas. Then the heated chemotherapy is pumped into the abdomen. The aim of HIPEC is to eradicate any mesothelioma-like traces that remain.Mesothelioma treatment is most effective when it starts immediately. Patients with peritoneal mesothelioma must seek out an experienced mesothelioma surgeon to schedule a consultation.