Adjuvant therapy is therapy for mesothelioma is applied in addition to the primary therapy, surgery. Its purpose is to eliminate any remaining microscopic disease. It is part of a curative approach to treatment, as compared to palliative (which alleviates symptoms, but does not cure the disease.) Adjuvant therapy can be either chemotherapy or radiation therapy, or both.
First, surgery is done to remove the visible tumor(s). Then, the adjuvant therapy(ies) is administered as indicated by other diagnostic test results. To qualify for these therapies you must have been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, which is between stages I and III, and you must be in good physical condition.
These therapies put tremendous stress on the body, so you need to be in the best possible physical condition when you start them. Chemotherapy can reduce your immune response, at least for a short time, leaving you vulnerable to other complications, such as pneumonia.
Treatment for mesothelioma is complex and expensive. Rarely is a single treatment sufficient to put this disease in remission. Early diagnosis and treatment is critical for the most successful outcomes.
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may be entitled to a settlement to cover your medical bills and more. Please contact the lawyers with experience in mesothelioma claims, Brown | Kiely, LLP, in Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.
