Computer Evaluation May Help Guide Mesothelioma Treatment
A computer program designed to help doctors analyze tumors in three dimensions could be a valuable tool for guiding treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a virulent cancer that attacks the membrane surrounding the lungs. Because it is highly resistant to conventional treatments, an effective method for evaluating the efficacy of a given treatment is vital. Diagnostic scans that can measure the volume of the tumor over three dimensions are an improvement over measures that only examine two dimensions. Currently, doctors often use a one- or two-dimensional linear method to examine and measure mesothelioma tumors for treatment response. But a team from the radiology department at the University of Chicago calls that method “insufficient” for mesothelioma and has…