Search Results for: cytoreductive surgery

New Surgical Technique May Support Long-Term Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival
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New Surgical Technique May Support Long-Term Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival

ByAlex Strauss

One of the nation’s top mesothelioma doctors says long-term peritoneal mesothelioma survival is possible with a far-reaching new surgical technique. Dr. Paul Sugarbaker is a surgeon with the Washington Cancer Institute in Washington, DC. He has studied peritoneal mesothelioma for decades.  In a new report, he outlines a case of long-term peritoneal mesothelioma survival in a female patient. The patient had cytoreductive surgery. The surgery included resection of the colonic mesentery. This is tissue that is not normally part of peritoneal mesothelioma surgery.  The case report shows the patient is still cancer-free four years after surgery with an “excellent” quality of life.  The Challenge of Peritoneal Mesothelioma Every year, about 2,500 Americans receive a diagnosis of mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts…

HITHOC for Pleural Mesothelioma: “Safe, Feasible and Effective”
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HITHOC for Pleural Mesothelioma: “Safe, Feasible and Effective”

ByAlex Strauss

A newly published study says a localized form of chemotherapy called HITHOC for pleural mesothelioma is “safe, feasible, and effective.” Researchers from Italy’s University of Pisa conducted the study. They did a thorough review of the medical literature on the procedure since 1994.  They conclude that HITHOC for pleural mesothelioma after surgery keeps tumors in check and improves survival. The downside is that there is not enough standardization in how doctors use the procedure.  How HITHOC for Pleural Mesothelioma Works HITHOC stands for hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy. Standard mesothelioma chemotherapy enters the whole body at once through the bloodstream. That is one reason that many mesothelioma patients on chemotherapy have side effects like nausea and low white blood cell counts.  HITHOC…

Academic Medical Centers Extend Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival
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Academic Medical Centers Extend Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival

ByAlex Strauss

A new published study suggests that peritoneal mesothelioma patients treated at academic medical centers survive much longer than those who get their care at community hospitals. The study was conducted by Harvard Medical School researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.  Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer of abdominal membranes. There is no known cure. The new study compared outcomes and survival among more than 2,600 mesothelioma patients. Patients were treated at high-volume academic hospitals or community cancer centers.  The results suggest that academic medical centers consistently provide more advanced and potentially life-extending care for this complex cancer.  Experience is Critical for Mesothelioma Care Malignant mesothelioma is the name for cancers that occur on internal membranes. It…

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Prognosis: Searching for New Factors
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma Prognosis: Searching for New Factors

ByAlex Strauss

An international research study including patients from 11 countries may help reveal new and better ways to predict peritoneal mesothelioma prognosis.  Right now, doctors use three primary criteria to determine peritoneal mesothelioma prognosis. Those are how much cancer was in the abdomen at the time of surgery, how complete the surgery was, and the tumor grade.  But about 70 percent of people treated for peritoneal cancers like mesothelioma have recurrent disease. The goal of the new study is to find more prognostic factors. Knowing these factors could help doctors make better choices about which patients are most likely to benefit from cytoreductive surgery (CRS).  The CRS/HIPEC Procedure for Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs on the lining of the abdomen. Peritoneal mesothelioma…

Paclitaxel May Prevent Metastatic Peritoneal Mesothelioma in High Risk People
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Paclitaxel May Prevent Metastatic Peritoneal Mesothelioma in High Risk People

ByAlex Strauss

Administering the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel directly into the abdomen of people with mesothelioma might offer a way to prevent metastatic peritoneal mesothelioma. That is the premise of a recent article by Dr. Paul Sugarbaker in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology. Dr. Sugarbaker is a global expert in peritoneal mesothelioma. He works at MedStar Washington Hospital in Washington, DC. Metastatic peritoneal mesothelioma is when mesothelioma cells spread. They move from their original spot to other parts of the abdomen. Paclitaxel can help prevent new tumors in people who already have some metastases. In his new article, Dr. Sugarbaker says the evidence suggests that it might also work to keep metastases from forming. Metastatic Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer…

NIPEC Treatment: Is This the Key to Long-Term Mesothelioma Survival?
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NIPEC Treatment: Is This the Key to Long-Term Mesothelioma Survival?

ByAlex Strauss

A mesothelioma treatment called NIPEC may help people with peritoneal mesothelioma live longer than expected. In some cases, much longer. A recent study of 74 peritoneal mesothelioma patients showed a combination of cytoreductive surgery (CRS), HIPEC, and NIPEC works better than CRS/HIPEC alone. The study comes from one of the country’s foremost medical authorities on peritoneal mesothelioma. Dr. Paul Sugarbaker runs the Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program at Washington Cancer Institute in Washington, DC.  Last year, Dr. Sugarbaker released results of a small study on NIPEC treatment for mesothelioma. Although that study included only six patients, the results were impressive enough to warrant further study.  This year’s larger NIPEC study is even more promising for people fighting mesothelioma. Similarities and DIfferences…

CRS/HIPEC Procedure Has Improved Over Time, Study Finds
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CRS/HIPEC Procedure Has Improved Over Time, Study Finds

ByAlex Strauss

A new French study contains some good news for people considering the CRS/HIPEC procedure for peritoneal mesothelioma.  The CRS/HIPEC procedure combines surgical resection with localized chemotherapy. Its aim is to remove or destroy as many mesothelioma cells as possible in the abdomen.  French researchers studied the evolution of the procedure over time. They discovered that it has improved. As a result, people with peritoneal cancers like malignant mesothelioma are living longer.  Cytoreductive Surgery for Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma causes tumors on the peritoneal membrane that lines the abdomen. Like other forms of mesothelioma, the cause is usually asbestos exposure.  Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) is an operation to remove tumors from the abdomen. Mesothelioma tumors may be confined to the peritoneal membrane, or…

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival Not Shortened by Organ Resection
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival Not Shortened by Organ Resection

ByAlex Strauss

A new study finds that organ resection during CRS/HIPEC surgery does not shorten peritoneal mesothelioma survival and may even help prolong it.  The new research included 174 peritoneal mesothelioma patients from cancer centers across the country. These patients had cytoreductive surgery followed by heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC).  About half of the patients also had at least one organ removed to help prevent mesothelioma recurrence. The goal of the new study was to determine what impact, if any, this practice has on peritoneal mesothelioma survival. The answer appears to be, not much.  CRS/HIPEC and Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival About 20 percent of mesothelioma patients have the peritoneal variety. This type of mesothelioma occurs on the lining of the abdomen and can easily…

CRS/HIPEC Treatment Helps Double Survival Among Swedish Mesothelioma Patients
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CRS/HIPEC Treatment Helps Double Survival Among Swedish Mesothelioma Patients

ByAlex Strauss

A new report suggests that CRS/HIPEC treatment has helped to double the odds of surviving peritoneal mesothelioma in Sweden.  Researchers collected data from the Swedish National Cancer Registry. A total of 102 peritoneal mesothelioma cases were included from two separate 5-year time periods. The report shows that, since CRS/HIPEC treatment was introduced in Sweden, overall survival of peritoneal mesothelioma increased from 7 to 15 months. At 5 years, twice as many peritoneal mesothelioma patients were still alive. The researchers conclude that this is likely due, at least in part, to CRS/HIPEC treatment.  Surviving Peritoneal Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that starts on the membrane lining the abdomen. It is almost always caused by accidental swallowing of microscopic asbestos…

Large Study Finds Treatment Combination Leads to Long-Term Mesothelioma Survival
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Large Study Finds Treatment Combination Leads to Long-Term Mesothelioma Survival

ByAlex Strauss

There is more evidence that surgery and intraperitoneal chemotherapy can lead to long-term mesothelioma survival. The news comes from an Australian study of more than 1,200 cancer patients. The study finds that one in five peritoneal mesothelioma patients who had this treatment combination were still alive 10 years later.  Peritoneal Cancer Survival with Surgery  Peritoneal cancers occur on the lining of the abdomen. Peritoneal mesothelioma starts on this peritoneal membrane. Some other peritoneal cancers start elsewhere in the body and spread to the peritoneum. The new Australian study analyzed the cases of peritoneal cancer patients who had cytoreductive surgery between 1996 and 2018. Cytoreductive surgery aims to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Past studies have found that…