Chemotherapy (Mesothelioma Drugs)

Chemotherapy is the use of medications to treat cancer. In regards to the treatment of malignant mesothelioma, chemotherapy has had mixed results. Chemotherapy is usually administered after surgery in an attempt to kill cancer cells that could not be removed during the surgical procedure.

Drugs that are currently used to treat mesothelioma include: Adriamycin, Taxol, Altima, Oconase, and Gemcitabine.

A strategy to improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutic treatment is combination chemotherapy. This is using more than one drug at the same time. Some combinations have shown some promise in treating mesothelioma. New drugs are currently being developed, with some of these drugs entering the latter stages of clinical trials evaluations.