Access to Multi-Modality Mesothelioma Treatment Limited for Uninsured & Rural Residents
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Access to Multi-Modality Mesothelioma Treatment Limited for Uninsured & Rural Residents

ByAlex Strauss

A new study shows a person’s insurance status and where they live often impact their access to multi-modality mesothelioma treatment. This can have an impact on their survival.  Researchers at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center conducted the new study. They shared their findings at the recent virtual world conference of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.  The study found that access to multi-modality mesothelioma treatment was more common in patients with private insurance or Medicare. It was also more common among those who lived closer to larger medical centers.  People who lived further out or who did not have insurance often did not receive the treatments that offer the best odds of mesothelioma survival….

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…

New Surgical Technique May Support Long-Term Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival
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New Surgical Technique May Support Long-Term Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival

ByAlex Strauss

One of the nation’s top mesothelioma doctors says long-term peritoneal mesothelioma survival is possible with a far-reaching new surgical technique. Dr. Paul Sugarbaker is a surgeon with the Washington Cancer Institute in Washington, DC. He has studied peritoneal mesothelioma for decades.  In a new report, he outlines a case of long-term peritoneal mesothelioma survival in a female patient. The patient had cytoreductive surgery. The surgery included resection of the colonic mesentery. This is tissue that is not normally part of peritoneal mesothelioma surgery.  The case report shows the patient is still cancer-free four years after surgery with an “excellent” quality of life.  The Challenge of Peritoneal Mesothelioma Every year, about 2,500 Americans receive a diagnosis of mesothelioma. Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts…

HITHOC for Pleural Mesothelioma: “Safe, Feasible and Effective”
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HITHOC for Pleural Mesothelioma: “Safe, Feasible and Effective”

ByAlex Strauss

A newly published study says a localized form of chemotherapy called HITHOC for pleural mesothelioma is “safe, feasible, and effective.” Researchers from Italy’s University of Pisa conducted the study. They did a thorough review of the medical literature on the procedure since 1994.  They conclude that HITHOC for pleural mesothelioma after surgery keeps tumors in check and improves survival. The downside is that there is not enough standardization in how doctors use the procedure.  How HITHOC for Pleural Mesothelioma Works HITHOC stands for hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy. Standard mesothelioma chemotherapy enters the whole body at once through the bloodstream. That is one reason that many mesothelioma patients on chemotherapy have side effects like nausea and low white blood cell counts.  HITHOC…

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…

Academic Medical Centers Extend Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival
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Academic Medical Centers Extend Peritoneal Mesothelioma Survival

ByAlex Strauss

A new published study suggests that peritoneal mesothelioma patients treated at academic medical centers survive much longer than those who get their care at community hospitals. The study was conducted by Harvard Medical School researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.  Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer of abdominal membranes. There is no known cure. The new study compared outcomes and survival among more than 2,600 mesothelioma patients. Patients were treated at high-volume academic hospitals or community cancer centers.  The results suggest that academic medical centers consistently provide more advanced and potentially life-extending care for this complex cancer.  Experience is Critical for Mesothelioma Care Malignant mesothelioma is the name for cancers that occur on internal membranes. It…

Peritoneal Mesothelioma Prognosis: Searching for New Factors
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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…

Adjuvant Radiotherapy May Not Lengthen Mesothelioma Survival, Study Shows
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Adjuvant Radiotherapy May Not Lengthen Mesothelioma Survival, Study Shows

ByAlex Strauss

Having adjuvant radiotherapy after surgery may not help mesothelioma patients live any longer according to researchers at Duke and Stanford Universities. Researchers used a database of pleural mesothelioma patients from Duke and a national registry to conduct the analysis.  They compared the outcomes of patients who had radiation after surgery (adjuvant radiotherapy) with the outcomes of those who did not.  While radiotherapy may help reduce mesothelioma symptoms for some patients, the results of the study suggest that it is unlikely to extend survival. Radiation for Mesothelioma and Its Symptoms Radiotherapy is a mainstay of cancer therapy for certain kinds of cancer. But the irregular shape and aggressive nature of mesothelioma tumors makes them less than ideal for radiation treatment.  Pleural…

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…

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