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  • Home > Blog > Mesothelioma > Chronomodulated Chemotherapy May Offer Additional Options for Mesothelioma Treatments
Posted on Monday, Dec 7, 2009

Chronomodulated Chemotherapy May Offer Additional Options for Mesothelioma Treatments

At The Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment, Dr. Keith Block, MD, offers cancer patients an innovative method to receive chemotherapy that takes advantage of an individual’s circadian rhythms and allows patients to receive their chemotherapy at a time when it will be most effective and least toxic.

The delivery of chronomodulated chemotherapy is through a portable, computerized pump that fits in a small fanny pack and allows patients to participate in normal daily activities such as walking and yoga while they are receiving their treatments.

Chronomodulated administration of chemotherapy has been shown to be more effective by allowing larger doses with lower toxicity to be delivered. According to Dr. Block, each drug “has an optimal time when it is least toxic and most effective.” In addition, there are times when the cancer cells are more active. Delivering the drugs at the optimal time improves the efficacy of the treatment by being able to kill more cancerous cells while preserving the healthy cells.

Side effects through the conventional method of chemotherapy are often debilitating, leading many cancer patients to stop treatments. Through chronomodulated chemotherapy side effects are minimized and patients are more able and willing to complete their treatments leading to higher success in cancer treatment.

Mesothelioma patients should check with their specialists to determine if this is an option for them. Chronomodulated chemotherapy is not for everyone, and a thorough evaluation of each case is conducted to determine the appropriateness of the therapy.

Dr. Block is Director of Integrative Medical Education at the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and a member of the National Cancer Institute’s PDQ Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Editorial Board in Bethesda, MD.