Researchers are performing a clinical trial hoping that they can make pleural mesothelioma a more manageable, and even survivable, disease. The clinical trial is being done at Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto. The trial is known as SMARTEST, which stands for Surgery for Mesothelioma After Radiation Therapy using Exquisite[…]
Surgery
High HITHOC Dosage for Pleural Mesothelioma Improves Survival
High doses of hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC) help pleural mesothelioma patients. A recent study found that when HITHOC is administered at a high dose, survival rates improve and periods of being disease free increase. HITHOC is the use of chemotherapy during surgery and is an experimental treatment for different types[…]
Two Cytoreductive Surgeries Can Improve Survival for Peritoneal Mesothelioma Patients
If peritoneal mesothelioma patients undergo a second surgery after recurrence, they can improve their survival. Data from a retrospective review from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center shows that cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) can be incredibly helpful for peritoneal disease sufferers. For some people, a second surgery has[…]
Prehab and Rehab for Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare and deadly cancer of the mesothelium, which is a membrane that surrounds multiple organs including the lungs and abdomen. The best thing for patients after a mesothelioma diagnosis is treatment in the form of chemotherapy, surgery, immunotherapy, or multiple treatments together. This can be mentally and[…]
Different Levels of Pleurectomy and Decortication Surgery can Save Mesothelioma Patients’ Lives
Italian researchers believe that lung sparing surgery can improve survival in mesothelioma patients, even when surgeries are more conservative. Pleurectomy and decortication is the surgery that spares the lungs. It is less comprehensive than the surgery that removes the lungs, which also makes it less dangerous to patients. Doctors at[…]
Follow Up Care for Mesothelioma
Follow-up care is crucial for treating mesothelioma patients. A study out of the United Kingdom found that when patients receive follow-up care, more input from their caregivers, continuity, and more timely information was necessary. The study involved three National Health Service facilities in England. Two of the centers were secondary[…]
Patients with Mesothelioma Don’t Always Have Access to the Best Care
Unfortunately, there is a lack of equality when it comes to treating mesothelioma patients because access to care can be very inconsistent. Patients might not have access to a high-volume academic hospital that treats mesothelioma patients, so they are not receiving the proper care that some people might receive. Patients[…]
Mesothelioma Patient Health Improves a Year After Surgery
It could take time for mesothelioma patients to have better lung function after pleural mesothelioma surgery since some patients have better lung function a year after surgery compared to the days and weeks after the operation. Researchers in Japan published their findings in Integrative Cancer Therapies. There were 24 male[…]
HITHOC After Pleurectomy and Decortication Surgery Can Improve Survival
There are some good results coming from a German study looking at Pleurectomy and Decortication surgery (P/D) being combined with HITHOC. Pleurectomy surgery is surgery that removes mesothelioma tumors but leaves the lung intact while HITHOC is a method of adding heated chemotherapy to the pleural area, sparing the rest[…]
Radiation Does Not Improve Survival in Pleural Mesothelioma Patients
A study at the Duke University Medical Center has found that radiation does not extend survival in pleural mesothelioma patients. A dual registry analysis was performed to determine the effectiveness of aggressive surgery and radiation. Adjuvant radiation is recommended as a treatment by many cancer centers including the U.S. National[…]
