mesothelioma

Drugs for treating mesothelioma

Chemotherapy is the use of drugs for treating cancer. The drugs can be swallowed in pill form or they can be injected by a needle into a vein or muscle. The drug enters the bloodstream and circulates throughout the body to reach and destroy the cancer cells. While surgery and radiation (above) can target specific areas, chemotherapy targets the entire body and can kill normal cells. This means that chemotherapy can have severe side effects.

Chemotherapy can also be injected directly into specific locations, such as the chest. Chemotherapy can be used in combination with a variety of drugs to increase the total effect. Chemotherapy is often used in combination with other treatments, such as surgery.

Side effects can be wide ranging and include nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, loss of hair, and mouth sores. These side effects can be treated and they will usually cease after the treatment is stopped.

A serious side effect of chemotherapy can be damaging the blood-producing cells of the bone marrow, which causes low white and red blood cell counts. White blood cells are the body's self-defense army that attack infections. If the number of white blood cells is down, the result will be the body will be vulnerable to infections. A lower level of red blood cells can cause fatigue (red blood cells carry oxygen that power muscles). Problems like lower cell counts often force patients to stop chemotherapy.

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