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New Surgery Gives Better Odds of Surviving Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink
New Surgery Gives Better Odds of Surviving Mesothelioma

A surgery that removes the lining around the lung may give patients better odds of surviving mesothelioma. The surgery is known as pleurectomy decortication (PD). And it may give better odds than extrapleural pneumonectomy (EP). These two surgical procedures are the most used procedures for resectable malignant mesothelioma.

A new article in the Journal of Clinical Medicine describes an analysis of mesothelioma survival after surgery.

Surgical Treatment for Mesothelioma

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that rarely responds to a single cancer therapy. Malignant mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. Usually, that happens in the workplace.

Pleurectomy decortication is a two-part surgical procedure to treat mesothelioma. The first stage removes the membrane surrounding the lung. The second stage removes diseased tissue that has grown on or around the lung.

Extrapleural pneumonectomy involves removing the lung affected by mesothelioma. Part of the diaphragm and the linings of the lung and heart are also removed. The goal is to remove all visible cancer.

These surgical procedures are often combined with other treatments like chemotherapy and radiation.

Better Chance of Survival?

Researchers from Italy looked at the odds of survival after these two procedures. They also compared the rates of postoperative complications. They compared the results of 13 studies published through May 2022.

The team found that patients had improved long-term survival after receiving PD surgery. Patients who received PD had a much lower risk of death 30 days after surgery.

These patients also had fewer complications after surgery than patients treated with EP. These complications included bacterial infection, irregular heart beat, and bleeding.

Researchers conclude that pleurectomy decortication has better long-term survival over extrapleural pneumonectomy.

Source

Danuzzo F, Maiorca S, Bonitta G, Nosotti M. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Pleurectomy/Decortication versus Extrapleural Pneumonectomy in the Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. J Clin Med. 2022 Sep 22;11(19):5544. doi: 10.3390/jcm11195544. PMID: 36233416; PMCID: PMC9571799. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9571799/

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