preview

Mesothelioma Research Paper

Decent Essays

Mesothelioma is an aggressive, powerful malignancy that is caused by the exposure to asbestos and affects a membrane of cells called the mesothelium. This membrane of cells lines the pleural, peritoneal and pericardial cavities; therefore, once these cells are disrupted it can wreak havoc on the body’s vital functions. Mesothelioma is a preliminary complex diagnosis that involves further testing such as blood tests, patient history, biopsies and scans in order to avoid a misdiagnosis. It is not uncommon for a physician to misdiagnose a patient since other respiratory diseases such as influenza or pneumonia mimic the signs and symptoms of mesothelioma. Symptoms may differ with each individual and can include but are not limited to abdominal …show more content…

In other words, it specifically triggers immune responses pertaining to the mesothelioma malignancy or targets the cancer cells at hand. Active immunotherapy excites an immune response by presenting antigens to the immune system for a response against the malignancy itself. Although the mesothelioma malignancy has a unique set of cells, the tumor does not always produce antigens. This results in the use of an antigen precursor protein called Mesothelin, which allows these antigens to form around the tumor in hopes to specifically target the malignancy site. On the other hand, passive immunotherapy does just the opposite. Passive immunotherapy does not induce an immune response; it simply and directly targets the malignancy by injecting “immune compounds that attack the cancer such as antibodies, cytokines, T cells and macrophages” (Selby). Non-specific immunotherapy injects cells that inhibit the growth of the tumor cells, preventing those cells from constant reproduction. These cells that are injected cooperate directly with the malignancy and are known as cytokines, lymphokine-activated killer cells and macrophages. Immunotherapies such as active, passive and non-specific passive all are becoming effective therapies for mesothelioma and are indicative of improving the patient’s …show more content…

A form of IMRT that is becoming popular for mesothelioma is known as tomotherapy. This form of therapy is technologically similar to a Computed Tomography (CT) scan with a routine CT scan before the treatment. This ensures that the patient is aligned right and assesses the correct location of the tumor itself before the treatment begins. After the patient is aligned right and the tumor is assessed, treatment will begin. Tomotherapy emits small beams around the body at every angle possible to ensure that the tumor gets targeted. These beams strictly converge to the malignancy site and can avoid certain organs in the body so no further complications arise. Tomotherapy can be adjusted based on the malignancy and is used on both small and large tumors. Treating mesothelioma with tomotherapy is becoming more popular as a treatment plan and is consistently being evaluated in

Get Access