New York Mesothelioma Treatment Centers

New York mesothelioma treatment centers provide the best treatment for mesothelioma they possibly can. Firstly, mesothelioma is a deadly cancer which is caused by asbestos. The mesothelioma affects the protective covering of the lungs, abdomen, and heart. This vital covering is referred to as the mesothelium. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the abdomen while pleural mesothelioma affects the lungs. The leading cancer in terms of fatalities is pleural mesothelioma. This is because the asbestos that cause the cancer are mostly airborne. Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally and it is mined to be used to produce many products. It has very special properties which make it very suitable for this. Apart from being resistant to heat, it is also fire proof.
New York mesothelioma treatment centers offer traditional ways of healing as well as non traditional methods. The most common traditional ways of treating mesothelioma used in New York are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. Not all mesothelioma cases have surgery as an option for treatment. The doctor will have to consider a few things before they decide surgery is suitable. If the tumors are very extensive, surgery may not work and it might even do more harm than good. If you qualify for surgery, the doctor will explain to you the various kinds of surgeries depending on the location of the cancer. The treatment is usually undertaken together with chemotherapy and radiation. This is referred to as 'multimodal' treatment and it is used for very severe cases.
Chemotherapy is the use of combination drugs to get rid of the cancerous cells. It is considered a very weakening therapy because of the side effects. You are also bound to loose hair while undergoing this treatment. Many drugs continue to be experimented on and sometimes, they are considered for chemotherapy. The use of high energy x ray is referred to as radiation and, what it does is to shrink the tumors and the radiation has some side effects which go away in a short while. The non traditional methods include photodynamic therapy. This therapy uses light and it is still in the experimental stage where the cancer cells are specifically destroyed by means of a fiber optic cable. New York mesothelioma treatment centers have this treatment but, only those who wish to be part of the experiment can participate.
Another non traditional way of treating mesothelioma is gene therapy which is also under clinical tests. This involves altering the gene of the cancer cells by means of injecting a 'suicide gene'. The cancer cells are targeted on their own unlike in chemotherapy. The New York mesothelioma treatment centers will give you more information on this topic. The university of Pennsylvania is researching on gene therapy. Immunotherapy is another treatment of mesothelioma that is also in the pipeline it is said to be very promising and it works by enabling the immune system to fight the cancer cells. There is no doubt that the future looks bright and in the cure for mesothelioma might just be around the corner. Meanwhile you can get the treatment available to manage the disease.