Peritoneal Mesothelioma Prognosis: Searching for New Factors
|

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…

Paclitaxel May Prevent Metastatic Peritoneal Mesothelioma in High Risk People
| | |

Paclitaxel May Prevent Metastatic Peritoneal Mesothelioma in High Risk People

ByAlex Strauss

Administering the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel directly into the abdomen of people with mesothelioma might offer a way to prevent metastatic peritoneal mesothelioma. That is the premise of a recent article by Dr. Paul Sugarbaker in the Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology. Dr. Sugarbaker is a global expert in peritoneal mesothelioma. He works at MedStar Washington Hospital in Washington, DC. Metastatic peritoneal mesothelioma is when mesothelioma cells spread. They move from their original spot to other parts of the abdomen. Paclitaxel can help prevent new tumors in people who already have some metastases. In his new article, Dr. Sugarbaker says the evidence suggests that it might also work to keep metastases from forming. Metastatic Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer…

NIPEC Treatment: Is This the Key to Long-Term Mesothelioma Survival?
| |

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…

Concerning CT Findings and Mesothelioma Prognosis
| |

Concerning CT Findings and Mesothelioma Prognosis

ByAlex Strauss

One of the nation’s top mesothelioma doctors says concerning CT findings may be one of the best ways to predict peritoneal mesothelioma outcomes.  Dr. Paul Sugarbaker is with MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. His newly published study compares 11 different concerning CT findings with outcomes in 100 mesothelioma patients.  Sugarbaker and his team found that the prognostic value of these 11 CT features is on a par with peritoneal cancer index (PCI) and cytoreduction (CC) score. It means that CT findings could become even more important for mesothelioma treatment planning.  CT Scans Reveal Information About Peritoneal Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs on the lining around the abdomen. It is an aggressive and hard-to-treat cancer caused by exposure to asbestos….

Spread of Peritoneal Mesothelioma Slows with Apatinib
| | | | |

Spread of Peritoneal Mesothelioma Slows with Apatinib

ByAlex Strauss

An investigational drug called apatinib may help stop the growth and spread of peritoneal mesothelioma. Chinese researchers recently tested the VEGF inhibitor on mice infected with human mesothelioma.  They found that the spread of peritoneal mesothelioma slowed way down in the presence of apatinib. The drug worked in the lab and in live mice with few serious side effects. If larger experiments confirm apatinib’s effectiveness, the next step could be trials in human mesothelioma patients.  Apatinib Blocks Blood Vessel Formation Apatinib is also known as Rivoceranib. It keeps cancer cells from using the protein VEGF. VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) allows tumors to spawn new blood vessels. A rich supply of fresh blood fuels the growth and spread of peritoneal…

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival Not Shortened by Organ Resection
| |

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
| | | | |

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…

Surgery for Peritoneal Mesothelioma Could Be Limited During Pandemic
| | |

Surgery for Peritoneal Mesothelioma Could Be Limited During Pandemic

ByAlex Strauss

It may be harder this year for patients who need it to get surgery for peritoneal mesothelioma.  An international group called RENAPE keeps track of peritoneal cancers like mesothelioma. The group advises doctors on the best treatment practices. The group is advising hospitals to tighten the criteria for who can get surgery for peritoneal mesothelioma during the pandemic.  “The Covid-19 pandemic is profoundly changing the organization of healthcare access,” say French doctors writing about the RENAPE recommendations. “This is particularly so for peritoneal neoplastic diseases, for which curative treatment mobilizes substantial personnel, operating room and intensive care resources.” Mesothelioma Treatment Options Mesothelioma is a rare cancer associated with asbestos exposure. About a fifth of all mesothelioma cases are the peritoneal…

Radical Surgery for Peritoneal Mesothelioma Boosts Survival
|

Radical Surgery for Peritoneal Mesothelioma Boosts Survival

ByAlex Strauss

Patients who have radical surgery for peritoneal mesothelioma live longer than those who have non-surgical treatments.  That is the conclusion of a team of Virginia researchers. The study is based on peritoneal mesothelioma cases in the National Cancer Database. It spans more than a decade and includes over 2,000 patients.  Not everyone is a candidate for radical surgery for peritoneal mesothelioma. But the research shows that those who have surgery live an average of five times longer than those who do not.  Surgical Treatment of Peritoneal Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma is sometimes called diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. It is an aggressive cancer in the abdomen. It grows on the membrane around organs. Because mesothelioma tumors lie so close to these organs,…

Invasiveness of Peritoneal Mesothelioma: MRI Beats CT for Assessment
| | | |

Invasiveness of Peritoneal Mesothelioma: MRI Beats CT for Assessment

ByAlex Strauss

New research shows MRI beats CT when it comes to measuring the invasiveness of peritoneal mesothelioma. Scientists from several of the top US cancer centers ran the study. It included nearly 500 mesothelioma patients and appears in the journal Clinical Colorectal Cancer.  The study shows that the invasiveness of peritoneal mesothelioma is more visible on MRI than it is on CT. The news could make a difference in how doctors plan peritoneal mesothelioma treatment.  Peritoneal Cancer Index and Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma cancer grows on the peritoneal membrane lining the abdomen. Like all forms of mesothelioma, it usually comes from exposure to asbestos. Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for about a fifth of all mesothelioma cases.  Doctors assess the invasiveness of peritoneal mesothelioma…