Experimental Treatments
Experimental therapies being studied and used in the
treatment of various forms of cancer can also be useful
for patients with malignant mesothelioma. These treatments
may be valuable for patients who have not responded to
traditional therapies or they may be used along with
traditional treatments to increase the overall effectiveness
of the healthcare plan. The experimental treatments that
have had the most success so far include: gene therapy,
photodynamic therapy, and immunotherapy. Of course, many
more treatment methods are currently being studied in
various clinical trials throughout the world.
Gene Therapy
Clinical trials for gene therapy are currently underway.
As a mesothelioma treatment, this type of therapy attempts
to correct the defective genes that make it possible
for a cancerous tumor to develop.
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Photodynamic Therapy
This new mesothelioma treatment is based on the knowledge
that chemicals called photosensitizing agents are capable
of killing one-celled organisms (such as cancer) when
exposed to light at a particular wavelength.
Several days prior to the surgery, the patient is injected
with the photosensitizing drug. Then, during the surgical
procedure, a special light is used to destroy as much
of the cancer as possible. This treatment is being studied
mostly with regard to pleural mesothelioma that is detected
at an early stage.
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Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy uses substances called biological response
modifiers to alter the interaction between the body’s
own immune system and cancer. The biological response modifiers
work in several different ways. They may be used to enhance
the immune system’s natural ability to fight cancer
cell growth, to make cancer cells more susceptible to destruction
by the immune system, to prevent a cancer cell from spreading
to other locations, or for other similar purposes.
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