What radiation therapy is available to mesothelioma patients?
Radiation is often used as an adjuvant therapy to kill any remaining cancer cells after surgery. It may also be used as the main therapy for patients who are not surgical candidates. There are three main types of radiation procedures for mesothelioma patients: Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation (RFA), and Interventional Radiology (IR). IMRT uses very small beams to target a tumor from many angles. Radiation is generally delivered in treatments over four to eight weeks, and the amount of radiation depends on the size, location, and type of cancer as well as the patient’s general health and concurrent medical therapies he or she is receiving. In contrast, RFA is a procedure in which a thin tube or needle is inserted through the skin to the site of the cancer. Hot chemotherapy agents are delivered through this catheter to target the affected area with minimal damage to the surrounding healthy structures. Finally, in IR procedures, the treatment
