Treatment for symptoms
For many people, mesothelioma is diagnosed at an advanced stage, and the main goal of treatment is to manage and control your symptoms. Although there is usually no cure for mesothelioma, treatment may make you feel better and help you live longer. This is called palliative treatment.
It is often assumed that palliative care is only for people at the end of life; however, it is beneficial for people at any stage of a mesothelioma diagnosis. It does not mean giving up hope – rather it is about living for as long as possible in the most satisfying way you can and managing symptoms as they occur. Early palliative care is sometimes also called supportive care.
This information describes treatments and strategies for managing some common symptoms of mesothelioma. As you may be experiencing a number of symptoms, you may have a combination of treatments. Keep in mind, however, that you won’t necessarily experience every symptom listed here.
If symptoms return after a period of relatively good health, you may be offered a different combination of treatments.
Learn more about:
- Making treatment decisions
- Breathlessness
- Difficulty sleeping
- Fatigue
- Lack of appetite and weight loss
- Constipation
- Pain
- How palliative treatment can help
This information was last reviewed in May 2017
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