3 Surprising Treatment Options for Mesothelioma

[00:00:06][music] >> Beyond standard chemotherapy and surgery, here are three mesothelioma treatment options you might not know about.

[00:00:18]The first is called HIPEC. It's hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

[00:00:24]For patients with peritoneal mesothelioma, this delivers heated chemotherapy directly into the abdomen at the end of the surgery to remove tumors.

[00:00:35]The heat makes the chemotherapy more effective, and the chemotherapy concentrations can be greater when applied directly. That means it can target the microscopic cancer cells that have been left behind without causing systemic side effects.

[00:00:51]Combined with complete tumor removal, and when it's performed at an experienced cancer center, this has achieved 50 to 75% 5-year survival, and it's transformed what was always considered fatal into a potentially manageable disease.

[00:01:06]The second is dual immunotherapy without chemotherapy.

[00:01:11]Studies have shown that nivolumab plus ipilimumab works better than chemotherapy alone for mesothelioma, especially non-epithelioid types.

[00:01:21]The combination helps your immune system attack cancer, often with different side effects than with traditional chemotherapy.

[00:01:29]The third is tumor treating fields or TTFields. It uses electrical fields to disrupt cancer cell division, and it's still being investigated for mesothelioma, but early studies show promise. Patients wear a device that delivers low-level electrical uh uh rays to the tumor area.

[00:01:49]These aren't right for everyone, but they represent how mesothelioma treatment is evolving beyond traditional approaches.

[00:01:57]HIPEC especially has revolutionized peritoneal mesothelioma outcomes. Ask your oncologist whether any of these might benefit you.

[00:02:06]For more information and a free mesothelioma packet, make sure to visit us at mesothelioma.net.

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