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Predicting Mesothelioma Survival with Advanced Techniques

ByHolly Zink
Predicting Mesothelioma Survival with Advanced Techniques

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 system. These symptoms can include abdominal pain and swelling, fever, and night sweats.

Advanced Surgical and Chemotherapy Techniques

The special type of treatment is called cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Or, CRS-HIPEC for short. It is a treatment that involves surgery and chemotherapy. During the procedure, chemotherapy drugs are heated and delivered directly to where the cancer is located. The heat helps to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy. It may also help to kill any remaining cancer cells.

CRS-HIPEC is the standard treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma.

Scientists looked at the data to develop the survival prediction tool. They looked at 154 patients who received CRS-HIPEC at the hospital between April 2015 and November 2022. They found certain factors influenced how well the patients did after the treatment. Factors included age, performance score, surgical history, and others.

Using this information, the scientists created a model that could predict patient survival. They tested the model on a different set of patients and found that it was accurate about 73% of the time.

The scientists who created the prediction tool think that with more patient data, they can improve the accuracy of the tool. They hope that doctors can use the tool to make better treatment decisions for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma.

Source

Su YD, Zhao X, Ma R, et al. Establishment of a Bayesian network model to predict the survival of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma patients after cytoreductive surgery plus hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Int J Hyperthermia. 2023;40(1):2223374. doi:10.1080/02656736.2023.2223374. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02656736.2023.2223374?src=

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