The most aggressive surgery for mesothelioma could be more beneficial for patients with the disease. The more aggressive surgery is called an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), which involves removing the lung. The other surgery, pleurectomy and decortication (P/D), spares the lung and only removes the lining of the lung and visible[…]
Surgery
Pleural Mesothelioma and Brain Metastasis
When people are diagnosed with mesothelioma, it is common for the disease to spread. This occurs in around 60 percent of people, but it does not usually spread to the brain. Researchers in Great Britain believe doctors should be focusing on cerebral metastasis in mesothelioma patients in addition to other[…]
Tool to Measure Asbestos Levels in Tissue has Been Created
A new tool to determine levels of asbestos exposure has been developed. The tool, created by Italian researchers, is known as a Retrospective Exposure Assessment (REA). The tool uses a microscope to determine how much asbestos is in lung tissue. The study wants to compare the actual level of asbestos[…]
A New Blood Test That Can Diagnose Mesothelioma Has Been Developed
A blood test could make diagnosing mesothelioma faster, leading to doctors catching the disease earlier in patients. Mesothelioma is a hard-to-treat cancer mainly caused by asbestos. Once diagnosed, not much can be done because it has usually spread and progressed to a point where treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation[…]
SMARTEST Trial Hopes to Improve Survival Times for Mesothelioma
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[…]
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[…]
