| There are many types of treatment therapies | | | | Active immunotherapy, on the other hand, is the |
| available for mesothelioma, both conventional and | | | | process of setting an immune system in the patient |
| experimental. This articles talks in details about the | | | | that will fight cancer cells. This method involves the |
| experimental therapies. | | | | removal of mesothelioma cancer cells. The cancer |
| Some forms of mesothelomia treatment therapies | | | | cells are studied in a lab to determine their antigens, |
| are still in their experimental stages. Many of these | | | | the molecules that are found in the cells' surface. The |
| new treatments are done in conjunction with | | | | cells are then treated to create a vaccine. If an |
| traditional treatments. Some of these treatments are | | | | immune reaction against the vaccine is stimulated, the |
| described below. | | | | immune system will also work against the cancer cells. |
| Immunotherapy is the process of modulating the | | | | Heated intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy is |
| body's immune system, thus turning it into a | | | | a more-recent surgical procedure pioneered by Dr. |
| cancer-fighting tool. This is done in two ways: passive | | | | Paul Sugarbaker. This therapy involves removal of |
| and active. | | | | tumor followed by injection of chemotherapy agents |
| In passive immunotherapy, patients who do not | | | | heated to 40-48 degree Celsius. Combining |
| produce their own anti-cancer immune molecules are | | | | chemotherapy with heat has been found to increase |
| administered with drugs such as cytokine and other | | | | the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Studies also |
| immune system components in order to kill cancer | | | | show, however, that heated chemotherapy is best |
| cells. | | | | for tumor less than 2mm in size. |