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Intrapleural Chemotherapy

Some types of therapy can be administered in a number of different ways. Chemotherapy is a good example of this. There are about a dozen different methods for delivering chemotherapy and many are tailored to a particular form of the disease. Intrapleural chemotherapy – which is delivered directly to the pleural space between the lungs – is ideal for the treatment of pleural mesothelioma.

What is Intrapleural Chemotherapy?

In those individuals with pleural mesothelioma, the offending tumor is located in the pleura, the lining that covers the lungs. While regular chemotherapy is a systemic treatment, using drugs that spread through the bloodstream and can destroy healthy cells, intrapleural chemotherapy delivers cancer-killing drugs directly to the affected area. This is called “regional” chemotherapy. The idea of any regional chemotherapy is to allow more of the drug to reach the affected area and to minimize side effects caused by systemic delivery of the drugs.

What Pleural Mesothelioma Patients Can Expect

Also used for patients who have lung or breast cancer that has spread to the pleura, intrapleural chemotherapy is administered at most locations that offer traditional chemotherapy though your doctor will let you know if you need to travel elsewhere for this service. You will probably need to have an X-ray or some other sort of imaging test before the delivery of the chemotherapy begins so that the doctor can have a good look at the affected area.

Intrapleural chemotherapy is administered through chest catheters that may be connected to an implantable port that will remain in place so that the procedure can be repeated. These catheters can be used not only to administer the drugs but also to drain any fluid (pleural effusion) that has built up in the pleural space, making it difficult to breathe and causing a number of other uncomfortable symptoms.

This form of chemotherapy works best for those whose pleural mesothelioma is still contained to just the pleural surface. In those whose cancer has spread, it is used primarily for symptom relief. It carries far fewer side effects than IV-injected or oral systemic chemotherapy but it may still result in nausea and vomiting, hair loss, mouth sores, and other commonly reported chemo-associated problems.

Sources:

1. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mesothelioma/DS00779/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
2. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_4X_Chemotherapy_29.asp?sitearea=
3. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malignantmesothelioma/Patient/page5