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Mesothelioma Care: Why Academic Centers Hold the Key to Improved Survival

ByHolly Zink
Mesothelioma Care: Why Academic Centers Hold the Key to Improved Survival

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic found out that people with mesothelioma who were treated at academic centers had a better chance of living longer than those treated at community centers.

They shared their discoveries at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is tough to treat, and there aren’t many options for therapy. It happens when someone is exposed to a harmful mineral called asbestos. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy are common treatments.

The Difference Between Academic and Community Centers

Medical centers with expert doctors and more resources are called academic centers. They often see more cases of rare cancers like mesothelioma. But until now, we didn’t know if getting treated at academic centers made a difference in how well people survived compared to community centers.

The researchers studied information from 2004 to 2019 about people with mesothelioma. They looked at things like age, gender, income, education, insurance, and where people lived. Then they compared how long patients lived after treatment at academic and community centers.

What the Numbers Showed

They looked at a group of 30,136 mesothelioma patients. About 45% of them got treatment at academic centers, while 55% went to community centers. They found that more people with other health problems got treated at community centers. The stages of cancer were similar in both types of centers. More patients at academic centers got treatment. This included surgery, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy compared to community centers.

When the researchers looked at how long people lived, they discovered that patients treated at academic medical centers lived for about one year or a little longer. On the other hand, those treated at community centers lived for about 8 months on average.

Based on their study, the researchers concluded that mesothelioma patients who go to academic centers have a better chance of living longer than those treated at community centers. People who choose academic medical centers are also more likely to receive some form of treatment.

Remember, it’s essential to find the best care for mesothelioma, and academic centers can play a crucial role in helping people with this challenging cancer.

Source

Mooradian A, Kimbrough E, Hochwald A, et al. Survival trends among patients with mesothelioma: Impact of initial therapy at academic centers. J Clin Oncol;41(16): e20540. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.e20540. https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.e20540

 

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