Experimental Mesothelioma and Asbestos Cancer Treatments

Mesothelioma, the rare asbestos cancer, affects only about 2,000 new people in the United States each year. Unfortunately, because so few people develop mesothelioma, treatment options for the condition are fairly limited. Moreover, those diagnosed with the disease - often several decades following asbestos exposure - are expected to live less than one year. Thus, many mesothelioma cancer patients seek comfort first, knowing very well that the chance of beating mesothelioma or another asbestos-related cancer is slim. In addition to traditional asbestos cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgical mesothelioma cancer procedures, there are also several experimental treatments designed to alleviate suffering for mesothelioma patients as well as treat the cancer.

Asbestos Cancer Therapy: Experimental Mesothelioma Treatments

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, your doctor may recommend one or more experimental treatments. Some of the more common alternative therapies for asbestos cancer include:

• Gene Therapy

  
  Gene therapy involves the alteration of a patient's genetic makeup to more effectively fight or prevent disease. Gene therapy provides reinforcements for missing or unhealthy cells affected by cancer and is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of mesothelioma. Patients suffering from asbestos cancer may undergo gene therapy in combination with other treatment techniques to enhance effectiveness.

• Immunotherapy

  
  Immunotherapy uses the body's own natural defenses to fight mesothelioma and some other types of cancer. Strengthening the immune system, immunotherapy helps the body to recognize and effectively combat cancer cells. Active immunotherapies assist the body in fighting cancer; passive immunotherapies attempt to battle the cancer independent of your body's immune system. Immunotherapy is most effective when treating small areas, but is largely inefficient in treating those with advanced stages of the asbestos-related cancer mesothelioma.

• Photodynamic Therapy

  
  Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a unique method of cancer therapy derived from the fact that certain chemicals called photosensitizing agents can kill one-celled organisms (such as cancer) when exposed to light. Injected into the bloodstream, the photosensitizing agent absorbs light shot from a machine, destroying nearby cancer cells. For some mesothelioma patients, photodynamic therapy can be used in conjunction with surgical asbestos cancer treatments to increase effectiveness.

Contact us about your asbestos-related cancer case. A lawyer with the California law firm of Clapper & Patti can guide you through your claim.

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If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related cancer, contact Clapper & Patti to speak with one of our California lawyers about your potential claim.