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…

Quality of Life Similar Regardless of Pleural Mesothelioma Surgery Type
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Quality of Life Similar Regardless of Pleural Mesothelioma Surgery Type

ByAlex Strauss

New research suggests that the two major types of pleural mesothelioma surgery have about the same impact on patients’ quality of life afterward.  Thoracic surgeons at Switzerland’s University Hospital Zurich compared the results of 42 mesothelioma patients. Patients had either extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) or lung-sparing PD surgery between 2013 and 2017.  Patients answered questions about their health in the weeks and months after pleural mesothelioma surgery. Their answers show that, where post-surgical quality of life is concerned, it may not matter which procedure a person has.  Two Approaches to Pleural Mesothelioma Surgery Pleural mesothelioma tumors start on the membranous tissue (pleura) that surrounds the lungs. A healthy pleura is thin and flexible and expands to accommodate the lungs during respiration….

Glucose Solution May Prevent Complication After Pleural Mesothelioma Surgery
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Glucose Solution May Prevent Complication After Pleural Mesothelioma Surgery

ByAlex Strauss

There is new evidence that a solution of hypertonic glucose can help correct persistent air leak –  a complication that sometimes occurs after major pleural mesothelioma surgery. Pleural mesothelioma affects the membrane that surrounds the lungs. Efforts to surgically separate a mesothelioma tumor from the surface of the lungs can damage the lungs.  When this damage causes air to seep out of the lungs into the chest cavity, it is an air leak. Some air leaks fix themselves within a few days. But when an air leak persists for more than 5 days, it can cause further complications and slow recovery after pleural mesothelioma surgery.  A team of thoracic oncologists in Milan, Italy say hypertonic glucose can help clear up…

Surgery-Based Multimodal Treatment Improves Survival for Italian Mesothelioma Patients
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Surgery-Based Multimodal Treatment Improves Survival for Italian Mesothelioma Patients

ByAlex Strauss

A new Italian report suggests that a surgery-based multimodal treatment approach to mesothelioma can help patients live longer with few serious side effects.  The new study comes from Careggi University Hospital in Florence. Thoracic oncologists tracked the outcomes of 12 of their mesothelioma patients since 2017. All of the patients had early-stage pleural mesothelioma of the epithelioid subtype. Results showed that none of them died within the first year after surgery-based multimodal treatment. More than half lived for at least three years.  These are considered very positive results for a cancer that often claims lives within months of diagnosis.  Understanding Surgery-Based Multimodal Treatment Some types of cancer can be successfully treated with just one type of therapy. Pleural mesothelioma is…

Pleural Mesothelioma Patients are Stronger a Year After Surgery
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Pleural Mesothelioma Patients are Stronger a Year After Surgery

ByAlex Strauss

Pleural mesothelioma patients can be stronger and have better lung function a year after surgery than in the days and weeks immediately following their operation. That’s the finding of Japanese researchers who just published a new study in Integrative Cancer Therapies.  They tested 24 male pleural mesothelioma patients in their 60s and 70s. They measured things like the mens’ grip strength, knee extension strength, and how far they could walk in six minutes. They also ran several tests on their lung function. They compared these test results with the patients’ own assessment of their outcomes.  The study suggests that patients who undergo P/D surgery can continue to improve beyond the postoperative phase. It is a hopeful message for patients and…

Physical Function Predicts Mesothelioma Surgery Outcomes
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Physical Function Predicts Mesothelioma Surgery Outcomes

ByAlex Strauss

A patient’s level of physical function prior to mesothelioma surgery is a strong predictor of how well they will do after surgery. That is the conclusion of a new University of Maryland study. Researchers analyzed the cases of 54 pleural mesothelioma patients before and after lung-sparing P/D surgery.  The goal was to see what factors had the biggest impact on their post-surgical outcomes. Patients underwent lung function and physical function tests both before and after their operations.  It turns out that a mesothelioma patient’s ability to be physically active is even more important than their lung function in predicting their recovery. Lung-Sparing Pleural Mesothelioma Surgery Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the multi-layer membrane (pleura) that surrounds the lungs. As…

Tri-modality Mesothelioma Treatment Triples Survival Time in New Study
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Tri-modality Mesothelioma Treatment Triples Survival Time in New Study

ByAlex Strauss

A comparison of chemotherapy alone versus surgery-based tri-modality treatment for mesothelioma shows patients who take the more aggressive path tend to live much longer. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer with a poor prognosis. Many patients die within a year of diagnosis. Chemotherapy is the most common treatment. But chemotherapy alone is rarely enough to stop this aggressive cancer. Tri-modality mesothelioma treatment combines several different types of therapies. The goal is to attack mesothelioma from different angles.  Now, a new study suggests that patients who go this route triple their survival over those who choose more conservative treatment. Surgery-Based Tri-Modality Mesothelioma Treatment Pleural mesothelioma is a fast-growing malignancy on the lining around the lungs. It is almost always caused…

P/D Surgery for Mesothelioma Improves Quality of Life Regardless of Lung Function
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P/D Surgery for Mesothelioma Improves Quality of Life Regardless of Lung Function

ByAlex Strauss

Japanese researchers say P/D surgery for mesothelioma improves quality of life for most patients, even if their lung function gets worse.  Doctors at the Hyogo College of Medicine tracked the cases of forty-five patients who had P/D surgery for mesothelioma between 2014 and 2018.  Lung function tests showed most pleural mesothelioma patients could not breathe as well after surgery as they did before. Their energy, vitality, and social functioning also decreased. But patients reported better mental health after surgery and significantly less pain.  The researchers conclude that quality of life after P/D surgery for mesothelioma may have less to do with breathing than previously thought.  What is P/D Surgery for Mesothelioma? Pleural mesothelioma tumors grow on the pleura, a thin…