Localized Mesothelioma Successfully Treated with Chemotherapy and Surgery
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Localized Mesothelioma Successfully Treated with Chemotherapy and Surgery

ByHolly Zink

A patient with a rare, localized malignant pleural mesothelioma has been successfully treated. The patient received chemotherapy and surgery and has been disease-free for 12 months. Many believe that a localized form of pleural mesothelioma might have a better survival outlook. This is compared with patients who have the more common, diffuse variety. This latest report comes from a Japanese team of thoracic surgeons. Local vs. Diffuse Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer affecting an estimated 2,500 Americans annually. All forms of mesothelioma have been linked to asbestos exposure. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of malignant mesothelioma. Most pleural mesothelioma patients have a type of cancer that tends to spread quickly. It spreds across the thin membrane…

Cancer-Fighting Gel Could “Change the Treatment Paradigm” for Mesothelioma
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Cancer-Fighting Gel Could “Change the Treatment Paradigm” for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

New National Cancer Institute research shows a cancer-fighting gel applied directly to the surface of a mesothelioma tumor could “change the treatment paradigm” for this troublesome cancer.  NCI researchers in Maryland developed the treatment and tested it in animals with mesothelioma tumors.  Their tests show mesothelioma tumors respond after just one application of the medication.  The authors of a new report on the treatment say surgeons could use it to enhance mesothelioma surgery. They could even use the cancer-fighting gel on its own as a stand-alone therapy.  The Challenge of Mesothelioma Tumor Shape Malignant mesothelioma is a surface malignancy. Surface malignancies are tumors that grow on the surface of other organs or tissues. In the case of mesothelioma, tumors occur…