Mesothelioma Lawyer

Using Photodynamic Therapy to Treat Mesothelioma

While chemotherapy is the most common form of treatment for numerous types of cancer, there are many other treatment options for patients suffering from mesothelioma. One of the more recent treatments is photodynamic therapy (PDT). This treatment relies on the idea that healthy cells and cancerous cells have different reactions to photosensitizing drugs. The treatment involves the use of photosensitizer drugs and light to disrupt the development of cancer cells in the body.

The photosensitizer drugs are administered over a period of one to three days, allowing the drugs to travel through the entire body. As the drugs are absorbed, they begin to make cancer cells very sensitive to a specific wavelength of light. When the cells are exposed to this type of light, a specific kind of oxygen is produced. The oxygen is toxic to the sensitive cancer cells, causing them to die and rid the body of the cancerous cells.

Photodynamic therapy can be used alongside other treatments, but is not very effective for cancers that have spread to various parts of the body. Mesothelioma is primarily contained inside the lungs and abdominal area, so photodynamic therapy is a good option for many mesothelioma patients.

There are side effects to photodynamic therapy, including:

• Eye sensitivity to light for up to six weeks
• Skin sensitivity to light for up to six weeks
• Swelling or scarring may occur in healthy tissue surrounding cancerous areas
• Coughing
• Stomach pain
• Shortness of breath

Doctors continue to learn more ways that light can be used to fight the development of cancer, so there is no doubt that this type of treatment will be improved in the future. If you are suffering from mesothelioma, seeking treatment should be your first priority; however, it is also important to understand your legal rights. Treatments can be very expensive, causing you to suffer not only physically and emotionally, but financially as well.

If an employer or manufacturer caused you to be exposed to asbestos, which ultimately caused you to develop mesothelioma, you have the right to be compensated for your hardships. Speak with a mesothelioma lawyer to learn more about your legal rights.

To schedule your initial consultation with an experienced mesothelioma attorney, contact the mesothelioma lawyers of Williams Kherkher by calling 800-781-3955.