Lung-Sparing Surgery and Mesothelioma Survival

Lung-Sparing Surgery and Mesothelioma Survival

ByAlex Strauss

Italian researchers say lung-sparing surgery can lead to long-term mesothelioma survival, even if surgeons take a more conservative approach.  Lung-sparing surgery for mesothelioma is also known as pleurectomy with decortication (P/D). P/D surgery is less extensive than the other main surgical approach for mesothelioma but it is also less risky. Now, doctors at Venice-Mestre Hospital say that, as long as it is performed early enough and combined with other treatments, lung-sparing surgery saves lives. Their report in the Journal of Thoracic Disease details the outcomes of 155 mesothelioma surgery patients tracked for a median of a year-and-a-half.  Extrapleural Pneumonectomy & Lung-Sparing Surgery Extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) is the most radical operation for pleural mesothelioma. In addition to removing the mesothelioma tumor…

Lung-Sparing Surgery for Mesothelioma Superior to EPP, Study Says
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Lung-Sparing Surgery for Mesothelioma Superior to EPP, Study Says

ByAlex Strauss

A team of Japanese researchers have added their voices to the ongoing debate over lung-sparing surgery for mesothelioma. The researchers analyzed multiple studies on the different kinds of surgery for mesothelioma. The studies included more than 2,600 mesothelioma patients.  After a careful review of the data, the Japanese team concluded that lung-sparing surgery for mesothelioma is almost always better than removing a lung. Mesothelioma patients who had this type of surgery had much fewer complications. They lived just as long as those who had more radical mesothelioma surgery.  Radical and Conservative Mesothelioma Surgery Malignant mesothelioma is a membrane cancer caused by asbestos exposure. It usually occurs in the membrane around the lungs. About 20 percent of cases occur on the…