Receiving a mesothelioma diagnosis is devastating. And knowing your cancer spread to other parts of your body can seem virtually impossible to bear.
If you underwent an invasive procedure which involved your chest wall during your mesothelioma diagnosis, your disease could spread throughout your body. This happens when cancer cells metastasize.
Cancer cells can spread throughout your body
Metastasis is the process of cancer cells relocating within the body. If you are not familiar with the term, you may be interested in knowing that cells:
- May separate from the primary tumor
- Can travel via your lymph or blood system
- Develop new tumors on other bodily tissues or organs
However, a long-standing treatment used to prevent additional tumor growth may be ineffective.
Traditional treatment may be ineffective
Doctors have used prophylactic radiotherapy on the chest wall to reduce or prevent metastasis for 20 years. But since this treatment began before the regular use of chemotherapy, medical professionals do not know precisely how effective it is.
Researchers may agree that radiation kills cancer cells. But studies involving prophylactic radiotherapy suggest it is ineffective in minimizing metastasis after a chest wall procedure. Instead, it could increase your chances of skin toxicity.
While the news is disappointing for may, researchers continue searching for ways to improve and build upon existing treatment. Several significant strides have been made in