Radiation Therapy for Mesothelioma

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In addition to chemotherapy and surgery, radiation therapy is one of the three most commonly used treatments for mesothelioma.

Free Mesothelioma Case Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit and we can help.

What’s the problem?

Radiation is very useful against cancer of cells that divide quickly, like mesothelioma, because it kills cells that replicate fast. When patients undergo radiation therapy, they receive several successively higher doses of radiation, which shrink the tumor to a manageable size. Radiation relieves a great deal of pain, and victims of pleural mesothelioma suffer reduced instances of shortness of breath. Unfortunately, radiation cannot kill all of the cancerous cells without causing significant damage to the patient.

Radiation therapy can be used as treatment in different ways. Often is it used to try to cure mesothelioma, but sometimes it may be too far spread and no longer curable. In these cases, radiation therapy can still be used as palliative care. This means that it is used to help reduce the severity of mesothelioma symptoms a patient may be experiencing. Mesothelioma patients with an advanced stage of cancer may find this beneficial in reducing cancer pain and shortness of breath. In incurable cases, radiation therapy can also be used as life-extending therapy; although the cancer cannot be cured, the radiation treatment is used for the benefit of extending life as long as possible.

Radiation Therapy Symptoms

There are many symptoms you may experience during your treatment for mesothelioma that can at times become quite severe. Some of the most common symptoms include:

• swelling
• fatigue
• skin damage and skin rashes
• hair loss
• infertility
• difficulty swallowing
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea

The number and severity of symptoms you will experience depends on the type and amount of radiation treatment used as well as the area of the body. Your doctor will talk with you about what you can most likely expect. However, remember that each individual undergoing radiation treatment experiences their symptoms differently, and they can vary quite widely from person to person.

Do I have a Mesothelioma Lawsuit?

The Toxic Tort Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus exclusively on the representation of plaintiffs in mesothelioma lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new cases in all 50 states.