Radiation Treatment in MesotheliomaMesothelioma patients may receive radiation treatment as part of their pleural mesothelioma treatment program. It can reduce the chances that cancer will recur following surgery.Radiation therapy utilizes ionizing radiation that damages DNA inside cells and eliminates them. It can be given either before or after surgery.Doctors often combine it with chemotherapy to increase surgical success. It also helps reduce symptoms like shortness in breath by shrinking tumors.External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)This treatment makes use of x-rays or particles from a machine outside the body to kill cancer cells. It can be used prior to or after chemotherapy and surgery to eliminate cancerous cells in the affected area. It can also be utilized as a treatment for palliative care to ease symptoms such as breathlessness. It can be difficult to treat mesotheliomas with radiation without causing damage to healthy tissue because they do not form one distinct tumor. However, newer techniques are helping to overcome this problem.Radiation specialists use computers to create precise images of the tumor as well as adjacent healthy tissues. These images aid in deciding how much radiation to use and where it should be directed. This information is used by a huge machine to place the radiation beam on the tumor in a precise manner. Most EBRT types require treatment five days a week for a period of weeks, but some patients require fewer treatments. Each session lasts between 15 and 30 minutes. However, the majority of time is spent preparing the patient for the treatment.The type of EBRT that is used to treat mesothelioma is contingent on the location of the tumors and the health of the patient. It might be a standard type of EBRT, known as three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3D-CRT) or a more sophisticated method like intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). In abdominal mesothelioma treatment , it can be combined a specialized treatment method, such as stereotactic radiation therapy for larger tumors or with other treatments methods like intraoperative radiation therapy for smaller tumors that can't be treated surgically.Another option for treatment is proton beam radiation therapy, which involves aiming particle beams (like protons or Helium ions) at the tumour from various angles. This allows for more precise focusing of the tumor's site and minimizes damage to healthy tissues as well as organs in the vicinity. However proton beam radiation therapy is not often utilized in Australia for mesothelioma.A different kind of radiation, intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is utilized in conjunction with surgery to kill any mesothelioma which could not be surgically removed. This is a fast procedure that only takes a few minutes to perform.Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)IMRT is a treatment that allows doctors to treat tumors without causing harm to healthy tissue. The treatment uses a medical linear acceleration (LINAC) device that emits photons or X-rays to target the tumor. The machine is able to rotate around the patient permitting the beam to be positioned on several different angles to ensure that each area is being treated. This allows the doctor to deliver an increased dose to the tumor while shielding the surrounding healthy tissues from being damaged.IMRT is often used in combination with Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT), which helps the physician to target the exact area of the cancer. IGRT uses computerized images, like CT scans, Xrays and MRI scans if available, to assist the radiation oncologist identify the mesothelioma accurately. Once the targeted area is located then the IMRT system can be utilized to produce an individual treatment plan that targets mesothelioma.The IMRT system allows the doctor to tailor treatment to the unique anatomy of each patient, which helps reduce the risk of side effects. In general, the radiation oncologist gives patients five daily IMRT sessions per week for five to eight weeks. Each session lasts between 15 and 30 minutes. The little amount of radiation provided on a regular basis helps reduce damage to the tissues of the body. It is important to keep in mind that a break on weekends is usually required so that the healthy tissues of the body can recover.The IMRT technique has shown good results for patients suffering from mesothelioma of the head and neck. It is particularly beneficial when tumors are located close to radiosensitive structures such as the parotids. A recent study showed that IMRT could deliver a significant dose of radiation to the tumour without damaging the adjacent parotid. The spared parotid glands recovered to 63 percent of their pretreatment levels as compared to only 3 percent in patients who receive conventional radiation. This is a very promising outcome, but more research needs to be done. Large-scale trials with IMRT will be required to confirm these early findings.BrachytherapyIf doctors can't remove mesothelioma entirely, radiation can help shrink the tumor and reduce symptoms. Palliative care is what this is called. Doctors use it in conjunction with other treatments, such as chemotherapy and neoadjuvant therapies to maximize a patient's lifespan.Radiation therapy involves the use of x-rays to kill cancerous cells from an outside device. Innovative techniques, such as IMRT, enable doctors to better target the area around the tumor and limit radiation damage.Radiation can be used to destroy cancerous cells within the body. In brachytherapy, doctors put an enclosed source of radioactive material near mesothelioma or in the vicinity of it. This can be done through an applicator or a catheter. Doctors can then deliver doses of radiation from a device outside the body to target the source. This is referred to as external radiation therapy (EBRT).Doctors can use either high-dose or pulsed-dose radiation in brachytherapy. With the former patients, they stay in the hospital and receive 10-minute sessions every day for a period of two weeks. High-dose brachytherapy, which requires a larger machine with longer exposure times is not as popular.Another form of brachytherapy makes use of protons instead of x-rays. Protons are physical particles, and are therefore less likely be absorbed by tissue. This may lead to less damage to the surrounding area. However, this form of radiation is more costly and isn't as widely available as xrays.Mesothelioma patients may have to undergo radiation therapy for a few weeks or more. This could be very difficult to endure. Patients should discuss with their doctor any side effects that they may encounter during treatment. Patients should also consult their doctors for tips on how to reduce side effects.As part of a multimodal treatment strategy, patients with mesothelioma can also benefit from immunotherapy and genetic therapy. Immunotherapy improves the immune system and mesothelioma patients who have received chemotherapy may benefit from immunotherapies to enhance their chemotherapy regimen.Researchers are also looking at other ways to improve the results of radiation therapy for mesothelioma. One option is to combine brachytherapy with immunotherapy by injecting cells which are infused with the drug Yervoy into the chest cavity. This treatment has proven to be effective in clinical trials. Gene therapy is an alternative treatment that involves reprogramming mesothelioma cancer cell genes or repairing them to suppress their growth and make them more vulnerable to chemotherapies.Therapy for radiation following surgeryRadiation therapy is not a cure for mesothelioma but it can significantly improve a patient's prognosis. Radiation therapy, when used in conjunction with other treatment options, can shrink tumors of mesothelioma and lessen the pain and discomfort cancer causes. It can also lessen the chance of mesothelioma cells expanding during surgery or after the removal of the lung tumor (known as seeding).Mesothelioma radiation therapy usually requires multiple sessions that last around 30 minutes. The treatment can be uncomfortable because the radiation oncologist will need to place and hold the patient in a certain position.Before the session begins patients should dress comfortably. Avoid wearing jewelry as it can interfere with the precision and accuracy of the equipment. Patients should also consume six small, frequent meals to prevent nausea.Based on the patient's particular medical condition, patients can be treated with a conventional or brachytherapy form of radiation. During conventional treatment, doctors use a machine called a linear accelerator give radiation. This is the most commonly used mesothelioma treatment. It is generally used to treat mesothelioma that is a cancer that develops in the lung's lining.Brachytherapy is a more precise treatment that utilizes the radiation source that is placed within the body. The implant can be permanently or temporarily put in. When a doctor inserts the implant into the patient, they must ensure that the cancerous tissues are targeted, not surrounding organs.Researchers are exploring the possibility of combining radiation therapy with surgical procedures in specific mesothelioma studies for patients suffering from mesothelioma that is resectable. One example is the SMART trial. This experimental treatment plan consists of giving patients hemithoracic radiation before they undergo extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP). This combination of treatments allows doctors to give patients higher doses and reduce the chance of mesothelioma seeding after surgery.A mesothelioma sufferer can experience full or partial remission, which means that the tumor has decreased in size or even disappeared entirely. Some patients have experienced remission for a long time and have survived beyond their initial prognosis.