Active symptom control as a treatment for mesothelioma

This means that if you have any symptoms, these are treated with appropriate medicines such as painkillers, or drugs to reduce breathlessness| or improve appetite. Radiotherapy| may be used to reduce symptoms if needed. Chemotherapy| may also sometimes be used to shrink the mesothelioma and control symptoms.

There are a number of ways to help symptoms caused by the mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma commonly causes breathlessness or difficulty with breathing. Breathlessness can sometimes be caused by a build-up of fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion| ). Your doctor may be able to drain this fluid under a local anaesthetic so that your breathing becomes easier. It may be necessary to have the fluid removed on a regular basis.

Talcum powder (talc), or a particular chemical powder, may be put into the pleural space through a tube. This procedure is called pleurodesis and causes inflammation of the pleural membranes, which then stick together to prevent the fluid from building up again. This can be done using keyhole surgery and is then called video assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS) .

Fluid in the abdomen (ascites| ) can also be removed using a needle inserted under local anaesthetic.

You may be given medicines to help your breathing and also to control pain. If at any time you feel that your medicines are not working, let your doctor know as soon as possible so that the dose can be altered or the medicines changed.

If you have any symptoms that are not easily controlled, you can be quickly referred to a relevant specialist such as a pain relief service, physiotherapist or symptom control team. The aim of this type of treatment is to keep you as free as possible of symptoms and to give you the best possible quality of life.

Other helpful remedies include relaxation techniques and physiotherapy, and your GP or a local cancer self-help group can give you more details about these. You may also find it helpful to look at our sections on controlling cancer pain| , controlling the symptoms of cancer| and complementary therapies| .

Your doctor will discuss the different approaches to treatment, and you may need time to consider the options. You can then talk it over with family or friends before you make any firm decisions. If you would rather talk to someone outside your situation, you may find it helpful to speak to one of our cancer support specialists| .