Overview | Surgery | Radiation | Chemotherapy | Other Procedures | Emerging Therapies | Where to go for Treatment | Articles in Medical Journals

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation can be received from a machine (external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes in the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).

In pleural mesothelioma, it is difficult to irradiate tumor tissue successfully without injuring nearby organs like the lungs, heart, and liver. Radiation therapy, however, can be very effective in relieving pain in certain situations.