Will the side effects of my treatment be permanent? Will I have more side effects later on?
Most of the side effects from mesothelioma are not permanent. If you are getting chemotherapy, most of the problems you will have occur during the treatment. After treatment, things tend to go back to normal. The nausea and vomiting go away, your body starts to make new blood cells, and your hair starts to grow back. You will have more energy after the treatment is done, especially if your tumor is responding to therapy. Some of the side effects may go away almost immediately while others take weeks or even months to disappear.
There are a few adverse reactions to chemotherapy that can be permanent. Certain agents can damage the kidneys. You will be monitored for that problem during treatment, and chemotherapy may be stopped or the dose reduces if there is any evidence of kidney problems.
There are other agents that can damage the heart, lungs or liver. Again, you will be monitored, and if these problems are evident that particular chemotherapy will be stopped.
Some chemotherapy agents, including cisplatin, can cause damage to your nerves called peripheral neuropathy. This causes shooting pains, pins and needles, or even some loss of sensation in the area of the particular nerve. Peripheral neuropathy may become less severe after chemotherapy is finished, but may not go away completely.
Side effects of radiation therapy tend to go away after treatment. It may take a little time, but usually time and sometimes other treatment will help resolve any problems after radiation therapy.
Surgery takes a long time to heal. The length of time is related to how extensive the surgery was. If you have chest surgery, such as an extraperitioneal pneumonectomy or a pleurectomy/decortication, the pain from the surgery will last at least 6 to 8 weeks, and will require medication to control. Sometimes pain does not resolve, because there are mesothelioma cells seeded into the surgical scar areas, or because the mesothelioma is still there and irritating nerves. It may be impossible to know what exactly is causing the pain. Your medical team should be able to help manage your pain in any number of ways. So you must let them know how you are felling.