Treatment: Radiation

Radiation therapy is an intense X-ray treatment to damage or kill cancer cells. Although not a cure for mesothelioma, radiation therapy nonetheless may be used at different stages of the disease to slow its growth. Radiation is often the main treatment for patients in weak health. Radiation is also used to destroy small clusters of cancer cells that may have been missed in surgery. When used in conjunction with surgery, radiation treatment is referred to as adjuvant radiation.

• External Beam Radiation
  The form of radiation therapy used most often is external radiation, in which a machine very similar to an X-ray machine directs strong beams of light at the cancerous cells from outside the body, killing the tumor cells underneath.
• Internal Radiation (Brachytherapy)
  Internal radiation therapy, also called brachytherapy, involves the placement of radiation sources in the body. With mesothelioma patients, the radioactive material is positioned inside the abdomen or the chest.