Safer Surgery for Mesothelioma Patients: Promising Strategies Revealed in Recent Study
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Safer Surgery for Mesothelioma Patients: Promising Strategies Revealed in Recent Study

ByHolly Zink

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania tested four strategies to make mesothelioma surgery safer for patients. Enhancing Mesothelioma Surgery Safety Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer caused by asbestos. It is found in the lining of organs in the body. The most common locations for mesothelioma are in the lungs and abdomen. In this study, the patients had mesothelioma in the lungs. The treatment plan for mesothelioma usually combines multiple therapies. The conventional treatment strategy is surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. One type of surgery for mesothelioma is called pleurectomy and decortication (P/D). This surgery is performed by a thoracic surgeon. The surgeon first removes as much of the diseased lung membrane as possible (pleurectomy). The second step is to…

Saving Lives and Lung Tissue: The Ideal Surgical Approach for Mesothelioma
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Saving Lives and Lung Tissue: The Ideal Surgical Approach for Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

New research has outlined the ideal approach to surgery for treating mesothelioma. The news comes from Hyogo Medical University in Japan. Since surgery is just one part of the treatment plan, it is important to focus on saving the lung tissue as much as possible. After the surgery, the patient’s quality of life should be the top priority, especially when they need other treatments. Improving Mesothelioma Treatment Outcomes Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is caused by exposure to asbestos. When asbestos fibers get into the lining of the lungs, it can cause the tissue to become inflamed and grow tumors. The usual treatment strategy for mesothelioma includes multiple types of therapies. The treatment plans usually include surgery, chemotherapy,…

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….

Empyema After Mesothelioma Surgery: Avoiding a Serious Complication
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Empyema After Mesothelioma Surgery: Avoiding a Serious Complication

ByAlex Strauss

A new study of a rare condition called empyema after mesothelioma surgery shows it can dramatically lengthen hospital stay and shorten survival.  Empyema refers to pockets of pus in the pleural space around the lungs. It is the result of a lingering bacterial infection. Empyema is a serious complication in people who have surgery for pleural mesothelioma.  The new study comes from the International Mesothelioma Program at Boston’s Brigham & Women’s Hospital. It finds that patients with empyema after mesothelioma surgery live half as long as those without it. They also spend a lot more time in the hospital.  The researchers say air leaking from the lungs can raise the risk for this complication. In their new report, they offer…

HITOC for Mesothelioma: Benefits May Outweigh the Risk
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HITOC for Mesothelioma: Benefits May Outweigh the Risk

ByAlex Strauss

The benefits of a localized chemotherapy regimen known as HITOC for mesothelioma outweigh the small risk of kidney failure for most patients.  That is the conclusion of a new study published in the journal Cancers. German researchers conducted a retrospective review of the medical literature on HITOC (also called HITHOC) in pleural mesothelioma patients.  They were most interested in patients who developed kidney problems after the procedure. This is a known risk with HITOC for mesothelioma. But the study suggests that most patients benefit from this type of chemotherapy in spite of the risk. Localized Treatment Versus Systemic Treatment Pleural mesothelioma tumors start on the membrane around the lungs and are hard to treat. Once this cancer takes hold, most…

Non-Incisional Pleurectomy/Decortication for Mesothelioma
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Non-Incisional Pleurectomy/Decortication for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Non-incisional pleurectomy/decortication could be the wave of the future for malignant mesothelioma treatment.  Environmental health experts in Japan say it is possible to remove the diseased pleural lining in a person with mesothelioma without making incisions that could spread their cancer.  The procedure is called non-incisional pleurectomy/decortication. It is a new way to perform mesothelioma surgery that may be safer, faster, and more effective.  Japanese researchers recently published a report on their experience with the technique. The report appears in the newest issue of General Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Surgical Treatment of Pleural Mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of asbestos cancer. It occurs on the pleura, a thin membrane surrounding the lungs. From there, pleural mesothelioma can…

Study Asks What is the Best Mesothelioma Surgery?
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Study Asks What is the Best Mesothelioma Surgery?

ByAlex Strauss

The best mesothelioma surgery is the one the patient can tolerate with the fewest serious side effects. That’s according to a new study from MD Anderson researchers. Their goal was to help settle the ongoing debate over which type of pleural mesothelioma surgery is most effective.  Both EPP and P/D surgery are major operations. But one causes much more serious side effects than the other. So how do doctors and patients decide on the best mesothelioma surgery for their case? The new research suggests there may not be a definitive answer.  Debate Over the Best Mesothelioma Surgery Pleural mesothelioma is an asbestos-linked cancer of the membrane around the lungs. During EPP (extrapleural pneumonectomy) surgery, doctors remove this membrane, any other…

Mesothelioma Surgeries Carry Similar Mortality Risk, Study Finds
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Mesothelioma Surgeries Carry Similar Mortality Risk, Study Finds

ByAlex Strauss

The two major types of mesothelioma surgeries carry similar risk of death, according to a new study from cancer researchers in Japan.  One surgery involves removing the diseased pleural lining and one of the lungs. The other surgery removes many of the same tissues but leaves the lungs intact.  Surgeons around the world are divided as to which of these mesothelioma surgeries is best. Mesothelioma patients have more complications with lung-removing surgery. But some studies suggest it could lead to longer survival.  The 4-year Japanese study included more than 600 patients. It suggests that the likelihood of dying is similar with either of these mesothelioma surgeries.  Surgical Treatment of Pleural Mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of asbestos…

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Mesothelioma is “Viable Alternative” to Standard Approaches
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Minimally Invasive Surgery for Mesothelioma is “Viable Alternative” to Standard Approaches

ByAlex Strauss

A new study from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York suggests that minimally invasive surgery for mesothelioma is a “viable alternative” to open-chest procedures.  Both of the two main surgical procedures for pleural mesothelioma are usually done through a large incision in the chest. Both procedures also carry a high risk of post-surgical complications.  But the New York researchers found that minimally invasive surgery for mesothelioma may produce fewer serious problems in the short-term. It may also give mesothelioma patients a better quality of life after surgery. Surgical Treatment of Pleural Mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma tumors occur on tissue that surrounds the lungs. These tumors tend to spread out across the tissue in irregular shapes. Their…

CT Scans Fail To Identify Metastatic Mesothelioma Prior to Surgery
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CT Scans Fail To Identify Metastatic Mesothelioma Prior to Surgery

ByAlex Strauss

CT scans are not a reliable way to detect the spread of mesothelioma into certain lymph nodes between the ribs. This is important because people with mesothelioma cells in their posterior intercostal lymph nodes (PILN) do not tend to get good results from P/D surgery. Surgeons need a good way to find mesothelioma cells in these lymph nodes before they decide to perform this risky operation. But University of Pennsylvania researchers say CT scans are not the best method.  CT Scans in Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Prognosis CT stands for computerized tomography. A CT machine uses a series of X-ray images from different angles to create a 3D picture of a mesothelioma tumor. Most hospitals have a CT scanner. They are…