Alimta for Mesothelioma
There are many different kinds of mesothelioma treatments that can be used to treat the symptoms of Mesothelioma and to deal with the many effects of this serious illness. And while there is no known cure for mesothelioma yet, there are other methods that can be used to help lengthen the expected lifespan of the person that is afflicted with the disease.
Alimta is a new drug that has been used to help stop the rapid growth of mesothelioma cancerous cells within a patient's body. Alimta was brought out during 2004, and since then it has been helping cancer patients that have Mesothelioma improve and to stop the spread of this deadly disease. It has been shown to successfully help patients live longer and happier lives just by taking Alimta. This particular cancer medication has undergone careful and rigorous scrutiny successfully, that has allowed it to be approved by the FDA.
Alimta Works
Alimta does more than simply work well for Mesothelioma - this drug has also been used to treat other various cancers. It has helped particularly well with lung cancers among others and has pointedly improved the quality of treatment that cancer patients can receive since 2004. Alimta can also be very helpful for anyone who is already taking other medications for mesothelioma since Alimta can be combined with other treatment options.
Not A Cure
While Alimta is not going to completely make your Mesothelioma go away, it will halt the progress of any cancerous cells within your body. This is why Alimta is perfect to use as a medication because people that have mesothelioma may not have long to live. Once they have been diagnosed with Mesothelioma, most patients with the cancer are not likely to survive very long once the symptoms start to show. Hence, Alimta has been extremely helpful to people who are suffering from Mesothelioma - Alimta helps by halting the progress of the cancer, allowing the patient to live a longer and more fulfilled life than they normally could have.
Alimta And Cisplatin
Often, another drug that often goes well with Alimta is Cisplatin, which is another form of cancer fighting medication. In many cases, Cisplatin is used in combination with Alimta because these two cancer-fighting agents complement the other well when working to fight off mesothelioma. This is one situation where two medications can be used together with to improve the health of a patient with Mesothelioma.
What Alimta Does
If you are wondering how the new drug Alimta will help you, then you should know that this cancer fighting medication could work for you in helping to destroy cancerous cells. Alimta actually works on the cancer cells themselves, decreasing their ability to grow at their natural rate. This actually provides you with less cancer cells in your body, which will give you a longer life but without this medical assistance you could be left with the 4-18 months that people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma have. Alimta has been tested and proven to help patients who are suffering with mesothelioma and this medication is currently being tested on other cancers to try to stop the growth of other cancerous diseases.
Taking Alimta
Alimta is not a simple medication to take. It is far more than just taking a pill with some water. In this particular treatment, specific guidelines must be followed in order to have a successful treatment. Before taking Alimta, it is important to also take two other supplements with this medication, Vitamin B-12 and folic acid. The combination of these two supplements with the medication can create the best possible beneficial situation for the patient. These supplements are taken primarily because there is also a chance of a small skin inflammation after you first start taking the Alimta. Make sure to ask your doctor in which way you could lower the chance of having this outbreak. It is recommended that your doctor put you on a steroid to lessen the chance of a bad skin reaction when taking Alimta.
Alimta Side Effects
The side effects of any medication are important to be aware of. Hence, you should know all of the side effects of any medication prior to deciding to use it as a treatment for your cancer. Most cancer medications have a wide list of side effects, but that is because all of these cancer-destroying medications work on killing the cancerous cells within your body. It is quite frequent that these medications will also damage healthy cells, which is why there is such a chance for side effects. A few of the side effects that Alimta has are: loss of hunger, sores inside the mouth, rashes throughout the body, exhaustion, depression, general weakness, and other similar side effects. These may sound bad, however it is much preferred that a patient deal with such minor side effects in order to extend his or her life. The benefits outweigh the risks.
