A study published in the European Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery looking at the course of treatment used to aggressively combat mesothelioma in over 600 patients found that those who had undergone a type of radical surgery lived longer than those who chose chemical therapies alone. Extrapleural pneumonectomy for mesothelioma involves removal of a lung, a portion of the diaphragm, and tissues which line the chest and heart.
While extremely dangerous, lengthy, and costly, the surgery does let mesothelioma patients enjoy a longer life when combined with traditional tumor removal, radiation, and chemotherapy treatments. Many of these patients also report enjoying a better quality of life as well, which is just as important as length of life when faced with terminal mesothelioma.
This is good news for the approximate 3,000 Americans who are diagnosed with mesothelioma (caused by exposure to asbestos fibers) each year. However, it is important to note that the extensive surgery mentioned above is not for all patients. Thorough screening must be applied to all possible applicants to ensure that this is truly the best option for them.
David J. Sugarbaker teamed up with researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, to pour over the historical medical records of 636 patients from data stored in the International Mesothelioma Patient Data Registry. These patients all underwent extrapleural pneumonectomies (surgical removal of the lung) between 1988 and 2007.
Because mesothelioma patients are not often diagnosed until the disease has progressed into later stages, patients are often given roughly 14 months to live after diagnosis. However, Sugarbaker’s study found that 18 percent of those 636 patients (for a total 117) whose records he examined lived for three years or more after the surgery.
In fact, the average length of survival for those 117 patients was just under 5 years (4.9). Certain groups within the total population were found to be exemplary. These included:
While the study found that the procedure in and of itself did increase longevity, life spans were significantly increased when the extrapleural pneumonectomies were combined with tumor removal and chemical therapy as well.