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Mesothelioma Surgery PD Comparison

ByAlex Strauss

operation for mesothelioma

Lung-sparing surgery is another name for pleurectomy/decortication (PD). In PD, surgeons take out as much mesothelioma cancer as they can without taking out one of the lungs.

The other main type of mesothelioma surgery is called EPP (extrapleural pneumonectomy). In that surgery, doctors do take out a lung when they take out the mesothelioma tumor.

Some studies say patients who have PD surgery live longer than people who have EPP. They may also have fewer problems after surgery.

What is the New Clinical Trial?

Researchers in Belgium and The Netherlands are running a test called EORTC 1205. EORTC 1205 is a clinical trial. Clinical trials test new drugs or treatments to see how well they work in people. Right now, there are no good treatments for people with mesothelioma.

The new mesothelioma trial asks “What is the best way to do PD mesothelioma surgery?”

Doctors want to know if it is better to do PD mesothelioma surgery right away or wait a while. They also want to know when they should use chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy Before or After Surgery

Some mesothelioma patients have chemotherapy before surgery. This is called neoadjuvant therapy.

The goal of neoadjuvant therapy is to shrink the tumor before an operation. Some studies say this makes it easier to take out more of the mesothelioma tumor.

Other mesothelioma patients have chemotherapy after surgery. This is called adjuvant therapy.

The goal of adjuvant chemotherapy is to kill any cancer cells left behind after surgery.

Mesothelioma Survival and Surgery

The new study will compare two types of mesothelioma surgery patients. People with early-stage pleural mesothelioma are the first group. They will have surgery right away and chemotherapy afterward.

The second group of mesothelioma surgery patients will have chemotherapy right away. They will have surgery after they have chemotherapy for a while.

The researchers will wait a little while to see how well each group of patients does. Then they will compare how long each group lives. They will also measure how it long it takes for their mesothelioma to come back.

The third thing that the study will measure is how many people get very sick or die right after surgery.

When the study is over, scientists will use the information to help make mesothelioma surgery better. The study was announced in Translational and Lung Cancer Research.

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