Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a deadly cancer that is mainly caused by asbestos exposure. It affects the lungs’ lining. It is a very hard to treat cancer because it is very aggressive and is often diagnosed at a late stage. New surgical and therapeutic methods are offering hope though. A recent article looks at pleural decortication, a crucial surgery, and how multimodal therapy helps.
Pleural decortication is a surgery that removes tumors and tough lung and chest wall tissue. It is a crucial surgery for mesothelioma. First the surgeon removes the tumor and pleura (lining of the lung). This allows the lungs to expand fully. The surgery is methodical and exact. It ensures that there is full tumor removal with minimal damage. Skilled thoracic surgeons usually perform this complex surgery.
After the surgery doctors use HITHOC, which is heated chemotherapy that is circulated throughout the chest cavity. This helps to eliminate any remaining cancer cells. Heat helps boost the cancer killing power of the chemotherapy solution. Unlike regular intravenous chemotherapy, HITHOC sends high drug doses directly to the tumor, reducing overall side effects. It takes around 60 to 90 minutes to complete the procedure.
Multimodal therapy combines multiple treatments together for better outcomes in pleural mesothelioma patients. It involves surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Pleural decortication aims to remove as much tumor as possible. Systemic chemotherapy or HITHOC then targets any remaining cancer cells. This helps to prevent cancer from coming back. It is also possible to use post-surgery radiation to kill any remaining cancer cells and prevent a comeback.
There are multiple benefits to multimodal therapy. The first is that it improves survival. Studies prove it extends survival in some patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, especially those with the epithelioid subtype. It also cuts recurrence. Using various treatments cancer is tackled from multiple sides, making recurrence less likely. It also provides a tailored treatment for patients, allowing a personalized approach based on a patient’s condition and disease stage.
A recent case study showed success in treating epithelioid mesothelioma. It used extended pleurectomy/decortication with HITHOC. The patient that was treated at a specialized center recovered well and left earlier than expected. This shows how safe and effective multimodal therapy can be especially when experts handle the care. Malignant mesothelioma is tough to treat, but new surgical approaches bring hope to patients and their families. Decortication, paired alongside heated intrathoracic chemotherapy, is promising. Multimodal therapy, combining surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, improves survival and lowers the risk of relapse. As research continues to advance, these methods will improve mesothelioma outcomes.
