Cisplatin is a mesothelioma chemotherapy drug based on platinum that is already widely used to treat mesothelioma patients. Cisplatin can be used as a single drug treatment for mesothelioma but can also be associated with other similar drugs, such as ALIMTA or onconase, for greater effectiveness.
Mesothelioma cisplatin based treatments can also use some alkylating agents that alter DNA, and modify its' structure so that it is “programmed” not to allow cancer cells and tissue to develop.
Back in the late 70's cisplatin was one of the first drugs to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and one of the first mesothelioma drugs that would be revolutionary in the treatment of almost any form or type of cancer.
How cisplatin works?
Cisplatin uses a very smart way of dealing with cancer, it alters DNA.
- Acts as alkylating agent
- modifies DNA so that it repels the development of cancer cells
- also, cellular death occurs, and the first cells that are killed are cancer cells
Unfortunately, although it has been very effective against a wide variety of cancer cases, it is not yet effective against mesothelioma cancer, because mesothelioma cancer is different in many ways from other forms of cancer. DNA altering alone will not cure cancer, which is why cisplatin will usually be helped by several other drugs, mesothelioma treatment methods and medicines.
Side effects are, of course, similar to other mesothelioma chemotherapy drugs, and, also, similar to other drugs, the side effects caused by cisplatin can be stopped by the use of certain drugs and some alternative treatment methods.
Why should you try cisplatin?
As stated above, cisplatin is not very effective against mesothelioma because of the way the cancer evolves, but with the help of other drugs, such as ALIMTA or ONCONASE, cisplatin proves to be of great importance in a chemotherapy cycle. Studies show that the difference between cycles that used cisplatin and cycles that didn't use it, is of about 15 percent in favor of the cisplatin cycles. Another plus is that, being an older drug, prices are low compared to the newest aditions in what concerns mesothelioma chemotherapy drugs.
Insurance will not pay for mesothelioma treatment cycles that involve cisplatin, because companies believe that it has no detrimental effect on the patient, which is completely wrong.
Would you like to have cisplatin as a mesothelioma chemotherapy drug in your treatment cycles, but still require some more information? Contact asbestosis and mesothelioma centers and receive any information you need, completely free.