Search Results for: cytoreductive surgery

Immunotherapy for Advanced Mesothelioma: Surgery May Be the Key
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Immunotherapy for Advanced Mesothelioma: Surgery May Be the Key

ByAlex Strauss

An exciting new research development may help make immunotherapy vaccines effective for more mesothelioma patients, including those with advanced disease who have not been able to benefit from these treatments. Immunotherapy works by harnessing the power of the body’s own immune system and directing it to attack cancer cells. Unfortunately, as mesothelioma tumors grow, they release increasing amounts of an immune system suppressor designed to ward off an attack. The bigger the tumor, the more powerful the immune suppression and the less effective immunotherapy drugs are likely to be. At the same time, larger mesothelioma tumors may also produce less mesothelin, a protein that can be used to help immunotherapy vaccines target cancer cells. With less mesothelin and strong immunosuppression,…

Mesothelioma Surgery May Have Added Benefit
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Mesothelioma Surgery May Have Added Benefit

ByAlex Strauss

Cancer researchers at Wake Forest University have found another benefit to the cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) combination used to treat peritoneal mesothelioma and other abdominal cancers: the control of fluid buildup. Fluid accumulation in the abdomen because of peritoneal mesothelioma or another type of cancer is known as ascites. Left untreated, ascites can cause bloating, discomfort, disfiguration, and shortness of breath when it interferes with the movement of the diaphragm. While patients with peritoneal mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the peritoneal surface, can have this fluid drained off, it often reaccumulates. But the new Wake Forest research suggests that CRS/HIPEC may offer a more permanent solution. Fifteen percent of the cancer patients in the study had…

Mesothelioma Study Cites Risks & Benefits of Second Surgery
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Mesothelioma Study Cites Risks & Benefits of Second Surgery

ByAlex Strauss

Peritoneal mesothelioma patients who have cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and heated chemotherapy can sometimes benefit from a second surgery, but it may be harder the second time around. Researchers in France have recently published their findings in a study of patients with mesothelioma and other peritoneal cancers who experienced recurrence after  cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Peritoneal mesothelioma is an asbestos-related malignancy that spreads across the peritoneum, the membrane that lines the abdomen. For patients who are healthy enough to undergo it, cytoreductive surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible, followed by a solution of heated chemotherapy drugs, has been shown to improve survival. But the French team wanted to examine the possible options for people…

Studies Confirm Success Factors for Mesothelioma Surgery
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Studies Confirm Success Factors for Mesothelioma Surgery

ByAlex Strauss

Completeness of surgery, tumor grade, and the use of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin all have an impact on survival after peritoneal mesothelioma surgery and heated intraoperative chemotherapy, according to recent studies. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer of the abdominal wall. This type of mesothelioma is often treated by surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible (Cytoreductive surgery or CRS) followed by a wash of heated chemotherapy drugs through the open body cavity (HIPEC). Two recent studies – one conducted in the U.S. and one in Singapore – have independently confirmed a list of factors that contribute to survival after CRS and HIPEC for peritoneal mesothelioma. The first study included 211 peritoneal mesothelioma patients treated with CRS and HIPEC at…

Mesothelioma Study: QOL Impact Not Enough to Deny Surgery
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Mesothelioma Study: QOL Impact Not Enough to Deny Surgery

ByAlex Strauss

The risk of reduced quality of life should not be used as an argument against a new surgical technique for peritoneal mesothelioma. That is the conclusion of a team of German doctors studying the combination of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for a variety of abdominal cancers. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare form of a rare disease. Arising in the peritoneum, the membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity, it tends to spread quickly. The proximity of the peritoneum to other internal organs increases the chance that mesothelioma will spread. During cytoreductive mesothelioma surgery, surgeons remove as much of the diseased tissue as possible. In a growing number of centers, the procedure is followed by…

Enhancing Survival for Patients with Pleural Mesothelioma: A Multimodal Treatment Approach
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Enhancing Survival for Patients with Pleural Mesothelioma: A Multimodal Treatment Approach

ByHolly Zink

Malignant pleural mesothelioma poses a significant health challenge. Linked to asbestos exposure, this aggressive cancer demands innovative treatment strategies. Recent research provides a promising approach to combatting mesothelioma. This multimodal treatment regimen could offer hope and improved outcomes for individuals battling this disease. A multimodal approach is when multiple treatments are used together. It is the most reliable way to improve survival in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Understanding Pleural Mesothelioma Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer. It is diagnosed late, which often presents unique challenges. While recent advancements like immunotherapy have emerged, survival rates remain low for patients. A new study focused on cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intrathoracic chemoperfusion (HITOC). This is a multimodal approach to mesothelioma…

Surgical Intervention in Pleural Mesothelioma: A Key to Improved Survival

Surgical Intervention in Pleural Mesothelioma: A Key to Improved Survival

ByHolly Zink

Pleural mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis. The impact of surgery on mesothelioma patient survival is unclear and sparking debate. A recent study was presented at the World Conference on Lung Cancer. It checked the survival of pleural mesothelioma. Some patients had chemotherapy treatments followed by surgery, while other patients skipped surgery. The aim of the study was to see if surgery could help mesothelioma patients live longer. The Impact of Surgery on Survival There are a variety of surgical procedures and treatments for pleural mesothelioma. The most recent study, from January 2011 to December 2021, included 296 patients. All were eligible for surgery after three cycles of chemotherapy with platinum plus pemetrexed. Among them, 272 had the…

Breaking Ground in Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment
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Breaking Ground in Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment

ByHolly Zink

Researchers from Spain are trying to understand just how effective a multi-modal therapy is at treating mesothelioma in the abdomen. The treatment is called cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Or, CRS-HIPEC for short. Mesothelioma that is found in the abdomen is called peritoneal mesothelioma. It is caused by the ingestion of asbestos fibers. Those tiny asbestos fibers become stuck in the abdomen. After 20 to 50 years, these fibers can cause inflammation and mutations in the healthy cells in the abdomen. These mutations can cause these cells to form tumors in the abdomen. Patients diagnosed with MPM have longer life expectancy than those with other types of mesothelioma. Some studies report patients live up to 5 years after treatment….

Predicting Mesothelioma Survival with Advanced Techniques
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Predicting Mesothelioma Survival with Advanced Techniques

ByHolly Zink

A team of scientists is working on developing a way to predict the survival of mesothelioma patients. In particular, those who are treated with a specific type of surgery and chemotherapy. The prediction tool would work for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma. This is a type of mesothelioma that grows in the lining of the abdominal cavity. Peritoneal mesothelioma is caused by asbestos. Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs in less than 1,000 people in the United States every year. Most of these people are over the age of 65, but it can also develop in people who are much younger. Symptoms associated with peritoneal mesothelioma may take decades after asbestos exposure to appear. They are usually noticed first in the stomach or intestinal…

Promising Results of CRS/HIPEC Treatment
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Promising Results of CRS/HIPEC Treatment

ByHolly Zink

A new treatment can lead to good short- and long-term outcomes for patients with mesothelioma. It’s called cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC). Research results came from the Medical University of Vienna in Austria. They looked at the first 100 mesothelioma patients who had this treatment in their hospital. Advancing Mesothelioma Care Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that grows in the lining that covers many of the internal organs of the body. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. There are approximately 2,000 cases of mesothelioma diagnosed in the United States every year. The standard treatment for mesothelioma usually includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The typical prognosis with standard treatment is survival between one and five years….