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here is no standard treatment used to treat mesothelioma and many different combinations of drugs are used. These combinations are sometimes called chemotherapy regimes or regimens. The chemotherapy drugs used include Mitomycin C Cisplatin Carboplatin Vinorelbine Gemcitabine Other drugs being tested include Pemetrexed Irinotecan All chemotherapy drugs have side effects. Drugs affect people in different ways. Not everyone has the same side effects with the same drug. Some people have very few side effects at all. It is not possible to tell how you will react until you have had that particular drug. It is important to remember that these effects are temporary. They will go away when your treatment is finished. All the drugs have different side effects. Ask your doctor or nurse which side effects are most common with the chemotherapy drugs you will be having. There are some side effects that are quite common with many chemotherapy drugs. These are - A fall in the number of blood cells - Feeling and being sick - Diarrhoea - Sore mouth and mouth ulcers - Hair loss or thinning - Feeling tired and run down Pemetrexed is an experimental drug that has shown good results in trials for mesothelioma. The commonest side effects of this drug include - A drop in the number of blood cells - Feeling or being sick - Sore mouth and mouth ulcers Pemetrexed is a type of drug known as an anti-folate. To help control the side effects, you should be given this drug with extra folic acid and vitamin B12. A fall in the number of blood cells will increase your risk of picking up a serious infection. Because of this risk, you should make sure you know exactly how to contact the hospital or your chemotherapy nurse. You should phone the hospital or go straight to casualty if you develop any signs of infection and especially if you get a temperature of 38 degrees C (100.5 degrees F) or higher. |