Mesothelioma Surgery is Now Much Safer
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Mesothelioma Surgery is Now Much Safer

ByHolly Zink

Doctors have made huge improvements on a procedure called cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC). This is positive news for people for malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Surgery as a Treatment CRS/HIPEC is a surgery that is used to treat cancers that are found on the surface of organs in the stomach area. This includes malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM). MPM is an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos. The cancer grows on the lining of the abdominal cavity. Symptoms of MPM are usually noticed first in the stomach area. People might feel abdominal pain or swelling, fever, and night sweats. MPM is the second most common form of mesothelioma. The most common type of this cancer is malignant pleural mesothelioma, which grows…

Peritoneal Mesothelioma and Palliative CRS/HIPEC Surgery
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma and Palliative CRS/HIPEC Surgery

ByHolly Zink

Peritoneal mesothelioma is the second most common form of asbestos cancer. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the membrane around the abdominal organs. It can spread throughout the abdomen. Some peritoneal mesothelioma patients get good results with cytoreductive surgery. But success depends on many different factors. Surgical oncologists at the Medical College of Wisconsin are studying this question. Considering Surgery for Palliative Intent? Malignant mesothelioma is an especially aggressive cancer. The two primary types are pleural and peritoneal. Peritoneal mesothelioma used to be considered just as lethal as the more common pleural mesothelioma. But cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) have changed that. CRS involves removing as many of the cancer cells as possible. After surgery, the abdomen is cleaned with heated…

Mesothelioma Surgical Decisions: New Method May Make Them Easier
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Mesothelioma Surgical Decisions: New Method May Make Them Easier

ByAlex Strauss

Cancer researchers in India and the UK have come up with a method for making better mesothelioma surgical decisions. The group focused on peritoneal mesothelioma, the second most common form of asbestos cancer. Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the membrane around the abdominal organs. It can spread throughout the abdomen.  Some peritoneal mesothelioma patients get good results with cytoreductive surgery. But success depends on a number of factors such as how far cancer has spread and where mesothelioma tumors are located. The new decision-making tool reminds doctors of five important factors to consider when making mesothelioma surgical decisions for the best outcomes. It is based on the acronym PAUSE. Peritoneal Mesothelioma and the Promise of CRS/HIPEC Malignant mesothelioma is an especially aggressive…

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…

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…

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…

Long Term Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival with NIPEC
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Long Term Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival with NIPEC

ByAlex Strauss

A new report suggests that long term peritoneal mesothelioma survival may be possible with a treatment called NIPEC and the drug paclitaxel.  NIPEC stands for normothermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. It is similar to the heated chemotherapy that many peritoneal mesothelioma patients now get. But NIPEC is delivered through a catheter over time and at room temperature.  The new article details the long term peritoneal mesothelioma survival of six patients on NIPEC with paclitaxel. It comes from one the nation’s leading experts in this form of mesothelioma, Paul Sugarbaker, MD.  Even though the sample size is small, Dr. Sugarbaker says the results are impressive enough to warrant further study.  HIPEC and Mesothelioma Treatment Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for about 20 percent of mesothelioma…