The Role of Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Mesothelioma Treatment
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The Role of Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Mesothelioma Treatment

ByHolly Zink

A groundbreaking study explored a different approach to mesothelioma treatment. Patients treated with radiation therapy after surgery showed promising results. This technique is called adjuvant radiotherapy. Revolutionizing Mesothelioma Treatment Mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive type of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs, heart, or abdomen. It’s caused by exposure to asbestos, a harmful mineral that was once widely used in construction and manufacturing. Because it’s often diagnosed at an advanced stage, treatment options have been limited. And the prognosis hasn’t been very promising. For a long time, the standard treatment for mesothelioma has been a combination. This often includes chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy. Of all three, chemotherapy is the common approach. Only one chemotherapy drug combination…

Adjuvant Radiotherapy May Not Lengthen Mesothelioma Survival, Study Shows
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Adjuvant Radiotherapy May Not Lengthen Mesothelioma Survival, Study Shows

ByAlex Strauss

Having adjuvant radiotherapy after surgery may not help mesothelioma patients live any longer according to researchers at Duke and Stanford Universities. Researchers used a database of pleural mesothelioma patients from Duke and a national registry to conduct the analysis.  They compared the outcomes of patients who had radiation after surgery (adjuvant radiotherapy) with the outcomes of those who did not.  While radiotherapy may help reduce mesothelioma symptoms for some patients, the results of the study suggest that it is unlikely to extend survival. Radiation for Mesothelioma and Its Symptoms Radiotherapy is a mainstay of cancer therapy for certain kinds of cancer. But the irregular shape and aggressive nature of mesothelioma tumors makes them less than ideal for radiation treatment.  Pleural…

Adjuvant Radiotherapy Most Effective for Pleural Mesothelioma in Early Stages
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Adjuvant Radiotherapy Most Effective for Pleural Mesothelioma in Early Stages

ByAlex Strauss

New research shows adjuvant radiotherapy is most likely to help pleural mesothelioma patients in the early stages of the disease. By the time mesothelioma is at Stage III or Stage IV, adjuvant radiotherapy is unlikely to improve survival. Researchers at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas conducted the study on more than 2,500 pleural mesothelioma patients. Their results appear in the most recent issue of the Journal of Thoracic Disease. The study could help mesothelioma patients and doctors make more informed choices about their care. Defining the Stages of Pleural Mesothelioma The four stages of mesothelioma relate to the severity of the cancer and how far it has spread. In Stage I mesothelioma, the tumor is confined to the pleural…