Mesothelioma Radiation Therapy (or “radiotherapy”) involves the localized use of high-dose radiation on pleural mesothelioma cancer cells. It works by destroying the cancer cells in the affected area and shrinking tumors. The major benefit of radiation is that the side effects are not as severe as those experienced with chemotherapy.
Sometimes, radiation is used in conjunction with other treatment methods such as tumor removal surgery or chemotherapy. Again, the approach your oncologist chooses will depend on your unique circumstances.
Radiation treatment for mesothelioma is not only used to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells. It is also used for pain management in patients living with mesothelioma. By reducing the size of the tumor, the patient often experiences less pain and less pressure in their lung and chest region.
The radiation treatment for pleural mesothelioma is divided into several sessions, usually one session a day for five days with a break on the weekend. This ensures that less damage is done to healthy cells than to cancer cells. The damage to healthy cells is usually temporary, but is the reason that radiotherapy has some unwanted side effects such as fatigue and skin changes.
