Deep Vein Thrombosis After Pleurectomy for Mesothelioma
| | |

Deep Vein Thrombosis After Pleurectomy for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

The authors of a new study on deep vein thrombosis after pleurectomy say mesothelioma patients may be at special risk. They say routine screening after pleural mesothelioma surgery could save lives. The study comes from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a leader in cancer research. The research team followed a series of mesothelioma patients who agreed to be part of a DVT surveillance program.  Nearly 30 percent of the patients experienced deep vein thrombosis after pleurectomy. A third of those patients had no symptoms. Understanding DVT  Deep vein thrombosis or DVT is when a blood clot forms in the deep veins of the arm, leg, or groin. If the clot goes unnoticed, it can travel through the circulation and lodge in…

Surgeons Disagree on Definition of Mesothelioma Surgery
| |

Surgeons Disagree on Definition of Mesothelioma Surgery

ByAlex Strauss

When surgery is indicated for mesothelioma, doctors typically turn to one of two procedures: extrapleural pneumonectomy or pleurectomy/decortication (P/D). Of the two, extrapleural pneumonectomy is the most extensive and risky, involving removal of a lung, the lining of the lung, and parts of the diaphragm. Though somewhat controversial, this mesothelioma surgery is well-defined in most centers. In contrast, a new study finds that surgeons vary widely in their definition of pleurectomy/decortication. To get a better understanding of what mesothelioma surgeons mean when referring to P/D, members of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer and the International Mesothelioma Interest Group conducted a web-based survey of 62 surgeons from 39 medical centers who had performed at least one mesothelioma…