Chemotherapy
& Drugs Used + Side Effects - Treatment Options for Mesothelioma
Cancer
(August 1st, 2008)
 Chemotherapy
is the practice of using cytotoxic or anti-cancer drugs to destroy
tumorous cells in the lungs. The mission of these drugs is to stop
the growth & spread of cancerous cells by individually targeting
each cell & destroying them. Although chemotherapy cannot completely
cure mesothelioma, it does prolong the life of the patient by several
months and helps to reduce pain. This is known as palliative treatment
and can significantly improve the life of the patient. Chemotherapy
is also usually given after a surgery. Examples of drugs used in
chemotherapy treatments include Alimta (pemetrexed), doxorubicin,
Vinblastine and mitomycin C, among others. Chemotherapy was used
in treating mesothelioma lung cancer since the 1940s. New research
& advancements since then have introduced a variety of drugs
that help in alleviating pain & increasing the quality of life
for the patient.
Chemotherapy drugs are most effective when the tumorous cells are
still young and have not grown; meaning they haven't formed a solid
tumor mass. It is a lot easier for chemotherapy drugs to permeate
young tumors than solid tumor masses. Most chemotherapy drugs will
impair the growth of tumorous cells or program their automatic death.
For instance, anti-angiogenesis drugs will halt the growth of blood
vessels preventing tumor masses to form a pathway through which
they will metastasize (spread) tumorous nutrients & oxygen to
other organs of the body. For instance, the image on the left is
of the drug Avastin that when consumed, stops the growth of blood
vessels through which tumorous cells will spread tumor cells to
other organs in the body.
 One
of the oldest & most commonly used chemotherapy drugs include
Cisplatin. Cisplatin is a platinum drug that comes in a group of
three; including carboplatin and oxaliplatin. Cisplatin reverses
DNA programming in such a way to prevent rapidly diving cells from
duplicating their DNAs and cause further cell division & growth.
Cisplatin can also be used in conjunction with other chemotherapy
drugs such as Alimta (pemetrexed), Veglin and Oncocase. Here is
a full list of chemotherapy drugs used for treating mesothelioma
lung cancer:
- Carboplatin
- Cisplatin
- Doxorubicin
- Gemcitabine (Gemzar)
- Miltomycin C
- Permetrexed (Alimta)
Raltitrexed (Tomudex)
- Vinblastine (Velbe)
- Vinorelbine (Navelbine)
The official body administering the research & development
of these drugs is the National Institute for Health and Clinical
Excellence (NICE). NICE also gives doctors guidelines & education
on how to best use these drugs on their patients. These chemotherapy
drugs may also be used as part of Cancer clinical trials.
Combination Therapy
These above chemotherapy drugs may be given as single, or simultaneously
as two. This practice is known as "combination therapy".
Side Effects of Chemotherapy Drugs
 Just
like any other drug, chemotherapy drugs come with their set of side
effects. This is because whilst killing tumorous cells, they also
reduce the normal amount of blood cells in the blood. When cells
in the blood are low, a patient can feel weak and may need a consistent
dose of injection. Any infections will also be treated via anti-biotics.
Common side effects include:
- Anemia (lower # of red blood cells)
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Hair loss
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Weakened immune system
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
 When
cancer occurs, tumorous cells in the body multiply beyond control.
The purpose of chemotherapy drugs is to kill this multiplication
but in the process, normal healthy cells may also get destroyed.
This causes Anemia and the cells that will most likely get affected
include red blood cells forming in bone marrow and the digestive
tracts such as stomach, mouth, intestines and esophagus. It is also
important to know that some drugs affect important organs in the
body such as kidneys, heart, lungs, bladder and the nervous system.
Therefore, before embarking on a chemotherapy treatment campaign,
ask your doctors specifically what drugs he will provide you with,
and its side effects. Here's a list of useful questions to ask your
doctor:
- How many treatments will I be given, or what combinations of
drugs will I have to take?
- How will the drugs be given to me, via pills or injection?
- Where will my treatment take place? At my local hospital, at
a clinical trial location, etc?
- How long will the treatment last?
Questions to Ask about your Side Effects
- What side effects are likely to occur with the drugs I'm receiving?
- What pain alleviating options are there?
- Are there certain side effects that I should report immediately
to the doctor?
- How will I keep in touch with the doctor if the pain caused by
these side effects is just too much?
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