Talk about mesothelioma and you automatically think of a cancer that’s guaranteed to kill fast.
Sadly, this has been the reality for most people who have been diagnosed with it. You may even know someone close to you who is one of the 3,000 people diagnosed with mesothelioma every year.
But Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a new type of chemotherapy that is helping patients to live longer. Paul Kraus is the world’s longest mesothelioma survivor and he’s excited about the potential of HIPEC treatment for mesothelioma patients.
HIPEC is a type of heated chemotherapy that’s delivered directly to where the cancer is. Paul says that this is a type of surgical treatment frequently being offered to mesothelioma sufferers these days.
The chemotherapy is highly concentrated and not circulated around the body. This means that the chemotherapy-only attacks the cancer cells, rather than the rest of the body.
It’s widely considered to be much more effective than conventional chemotherapy.
Paul explains that this type of chemotherapy also involves a secondary surgical treatment. This is known as cytoreductive surgery and it’s used to remove major tumors prior to chemotherapy. A number of different surgical techniques are employed to get rid of as many tumors as possible.
The key is that the solution is heated and sterilized, so it increases the likelihood that the cancer cells will be removed.
The chemotherapy solution is circulated around the abdomen for about 90 minutes before the solution is removed and the opening closed.
It may require multiple rounds of HIPEC to get rid of all the cancer cells. And HIPEC is never going to be able to cure your cancer. It can only act as an aid for your body.
The reason for terminal cancer sufferers to consider using HIPEC as their treatment of choice is because it’s a safer option than conventional chemotherapy.
Many of the devastating effects of chemotherapy simply aren’t present with HIPEC because the entire body isn’t exposed to the solution. Only the abdomen receives high dose chemotherapy.
Paul also reveals that this type of chemotherapy is considered to be more effective because the heated solution is more easily absorbed by the cancer tumors and any cells that could turn into cancer cells.
But it’s important to mention that this is no silver bullet. It’s a chemotherapy option that must be combined with lifestyle changes and other treatments.
Remember that mesothelioma is a terminal cancer that’s incurable. You can only give yourself more time.
Just because your mesothelioma can’t be cured doesn’t mean that you can’t give yourself more time. Paul has survived for more than twenty years with this type of cancer, but he continues to enjoy a high quality of life because he takes an interest in his ongoing treatment.
Speak to your doctor about the possibility of utilizing HIPEC to fight back against your mesothelioma. It could allow you to outlive your original prognosis by years.
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