For mesothelioma, many ways of treatment were performed by combining various methods. The most successful of these ways is “triple therapy” combination of surgical, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In this way of treatment, the most significant element is to diagnose the disease in its early stage. Particularly, the method combination of high dose radiotherapy and chemotherapy with surgical has been most successful way of treatment for recovering patients.
An operation called as extrapleural pneumonectomy is performed in order to completely remove the tumor. Lining of the lung and entire lung affected in chest cavity (or thoracic cavity) and with diaphragm muscle and lung of the heart which touched with the lining of the lung are removed. In the last decade, reliability of operation has increased and risk of death (or mortality) after operation has dropped below 4% from about 10%. Considering that risk of death after open-heart surgery is 1-2%, the rate above-mentioned is quite high. By the end of the treatment, life expectancy of patients treated in USA increased above 2 years and it was seen a long lifetime period in a certain part of patients. In a study carried out in collaboration with Marmara University and Osmangazi University in Turkey, 4 year disease-free survival was observed in patients treated by the following protocol.
Triple therapy takes a total of six months. At first the operation is performed and after a month radiotherapy begins, which will take 2 months. After the radiotherapy, the patient rest for a month and chemotherapy is performed for 2 months. Completing all three treatment periods is essential to ensure adequate achievement against the disease.
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