Chemotherapy and Drugs

Chemotherapy as another common method of treating mesothelioma generally has mixed results due to the variety of patients. conditions and their overall health. Combination of chemotherapy and mesothelioma drugs is usually more effective in treating the disease especially as more and more new drugs are being developed. Similarly to radiation therapy, chemotherapy can be used in addition to surgery in order to remove cancer cells missed by surgical operations

Which drugs you might have

There is no standard treatment used to treat mesothelioma and many different combinations of drugs are used. These combinations are sometimes called chemotherapy regimes or regimens. The chemotherapy drugs used include

• Mitomycin c
• cisplatin
• carboplatin
• vinorelbine
• gemcitabine
• pemetrexed
  

A drug called raltitrexed (Tomudex) has also been tested for mesothelioma. Like pemetrexed, you usually have this in combination with cisplatin.

Side effects

All chemotherapy drugs have side effects. Drugs affect people in different ways. Not everyone has the same side effects with the same drug. Some people have very few side effects at all. It is not possible to tell how you will react until you have had that particular drug. It is important to remember that these effects are temporary. They will go away when your treatment is finished. All the drugs have different side effects. Ask your doctor or nurse which side effects are most common with the chemotherapy drugs you will be having.

There are some side effects that are quite common with many chemotherapy drugs. These are
a fall in the no of blood cells

• Feeling and being sick feeling and being back
• diarrhoea
• sore mouth and mouth ulcers
  
• hair loss or thinning
  
• feeling tired and run down
  

These links will take you to information about coping with these side effects in the main chemotheraphy section of CancerHelp UK.

Pemetrexed

Pemetrexed is a new drug that has shown good results in trials for mesothelioma. It is also called Alimta. Pemetrexed has now been licensed in the UK for use in combination with cisplatin to treat mesothelioma. In January 2008 NICE (National institute for health and clinical excellence) recommended its use in England, for people with advanced mesothelioma which is not suitable for surgery, who are fit enough to look after themselves. Others who are already receiving pemetrexed will be able to continue their treatment while they and their doctors agree that it is helpful.

There is more about pemetrexed in the question and answersection of CancerHelp UK.

Side effects of pemetrexed

The commonest side effects of pemetrexed include

• A drop in the no of blood cells
  
• Feeling or being sick
  
• sore mouth and mouth ulcers
  

Pemetrexed is a type of drug known as an anti-folate. To help control the side effects, you should be given this drug with extra folic acid and vitamin B12.

A fall in the number of blood cells will increase your risk of picking up a serious infection. Because of this risk, you should make sure you know exactly how to contact the hospital or your chemotherapy nurse. You should phone the hospital or go straight to casualty if you develop any signs of infection and especially if you get a temperature of 38 degrees C (100.5 degrees F) or higher.