Chemotherapy is a form of drug used to treat different kinds of cancer. Its' purpose is to get rid of cancerous cells in the body and shrink tumors before surgery. It is then used to clean the rest of the body of cancer cells. It’s often used in combination with other medications for best results. These drugs are required to be very toxic to kill tumor cells, and healthy cells can be affected too. Newer drugs have fewer side effects and combining drugs can have a strong effect on reducing the toxic effects.
Here is a list of drugs currently in use:
Alimta – manufactured by Eli Lilly and Company Pharmaceuticals. Alimta is a newly FDA approved drug that significantly increases the length of survival in patients. It can alleviate significant symptoms associated with mesothelioma.
Carboplatin – used most commonly for lung and ovarian cancers. It has also been used to treat pleural mesothelioma.
Cisplatin - also known as a platinum-containing compound. It is injected into the body via intravenous injection to slow or stop the growth of cancer cells. This treatment can be used in combination with Alimta and together have a stronger effect.
Gemcitabine – part of the group of drugs known as anti-metabolites. It is used in the treatment of lung, bladder, breast, pancreatic cancer and malignant mesothelioma.
Navelbine – has been used traditionally for many different cancers, including breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer.
Onconase - currently in clinical trials. It is manufactured by Alfacell Corporation and is apparently a potential treatment option for patients with inoperable malignant mesothelioma.