Recurring Collapsed Lung as an Early Indicator of Malignant Mesothelioma
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Recurring Collapsed Lung as an Early Indicator of Malignant Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A new article highlights the link between a collapsed lung and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma, caused by asbestos exposure, can present unexpectedly. It often requires many clinical tests for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. A new study explores the case of a 73-year-old man whose recurrent collapsing lung was found to be mesothelioma. This shows the importance of thorough tissue examination for early detection and diagnosis. The Unusual Case The patient was a 73-year-old man who experienced recurrent collapsed lungs. This is where air collects in the pleural space around the lungs. A chest CT scan showed a left collapsed lung and calcified plaques. This finding implied prior asbestos exposure. Other symptoms, including nodules in both lungs, raised the suspicion of mesothelioma….

Medical Thoracoscopy Safe and Effective for Mesothelioma Diagnosis
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Medical Thoracoscopy Safe and Effective for Mesothelioma Diagnosis

ByAlex Strauss

UK researchers say a minimally invasive procedure called medical thoracoscopy is safe and effective for diagnosing mesothelioma and treating its symptoms.  The word comes from a large medical center in Northumberland. The UK has one of the highest rates of pleural mesothelioma in the world. Rates of pleural mesothelioma in Northumberland are especially high.  Mesothelioma diagnosis usually requires a biopsy. The new study finds that medical thoracoscopy enabled “high diagnostic sensitivity” with few serious complications.   Understanding Medical Thoracoscopy Medical thoracoscopy is a minimally invasive procedure for diagnosing and treating diseases affecting the pleura. The pleura is a membrane that surrounds the lung. People with mesothelioma and some other diseases can develop fluid between the pleura and the lungs. The fluid is…

Could Deliberate Lung Collapse Make Mesothelioma Procedure Safer?
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Could Deliberate Lung Collapse Make Mesothelioma Procedure Safer?

ByAlex Strauss

A group of researchers in the Oxford University Centre for Respiratory Medicine have evidence that, in certain cases,deliberately collapsing a lung could improve treatment for people with malignant pleural mesothelioma. In a recently published study in the journal Thorax, the group reported data that deliberately deflating a lung, called pneumothorax induction, can sometimes make it easier and safer to perform a surgical procedure called thoracoscopy. Local anesthetic thoracoscopy (LAT) is a minimally invasive method for examining or performing biopsies or surgeries in the pleural cavity around the lungs where mesothelioma starts. It utilizes an instrument called a thorascope with a light source and a lens. Using a thorascope, surgeons can perform procedures on mesothelioma patients without having to use general anesthetic…

Thoracoscopy: An Alternative to Surgery for Mesothelioma Diagnosis?
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Thoracoscopy: An Alternative to Surgery for Mesothelioma Diagnosis?

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic say an outpatient medical procedure called thoracoscopy is safer and simpler than inpatient surgery for diagnosing a common mesothelioma symptom. Pleural effusion, or buildup of fluid around the lungs, can be caused by several different conditions and cancers, including malignant pleural mesothelioma. When doctors are unable to make a definitive diagnosis of mesothelioma or to determine its extent from fluid samples and imaging studies alone, an open surgery of the chest (thoracic surgery) may be recommended. But a team of Mayo Clinic doctors writing in the medical journal Chest say minimally invasive outpatient medical thoracoscopy offers a feasible alternative to surgery for exploring the chest cavity in people with suspected mesothelioma. The study focused on…