A new meta-analysis on surgical pleural mesothelioma treatment supports the recent move towards the less invasive type of surgery as better for patient survival. Surgical treatment of mesothelioma aims to remove as much of the cancer as possible to try to prolong the life of mesothelioma patients. Most common types of treatment for pleural mesothelioma The two types of mesothelioma surgery used most often in managing pleural mesothelioma are: Pleurectomy/decortication (P/D): Surgery to remove part of the covering of the lungs and lining of the chest and part of the outside surface of the … [Read more...]
mesothelioma surgery
Mesothelioma Expert Questions Mesothelioma Surgery
Mesothelioma surgery remains one of the few treatment options open to mesothelioma patients at present. The possibility of mesothelioma surgery may offer hope for a longer life and hope is in itself important. So it is with great reluctance that I report to you on the opinion of a mesothelioma expert who questions having mesothelioma surgery. Whether you agree with his opinion or not is up to you and your physician. But because his comments were published in The Lancet, one of the world’s most important medical journals, and then republished in Oncology Update and other medical publications, … [Read more...]
6 Things a Mesothelioma Patient Should Do Before Leaving the Hospital
What are the best things you can do as a mesothelioma patient to get ready to leave the hospital after surgery? The transition from the hospital back to home can seem abrupt and overwhelming to you as a mesothelioma patient especially if the next steps aren’t clear. More than a third of all hospital patients fail to get needed follow-up care once they get home, according to Consumer Reports. To prevent that from happening to you, here are six steps they recommend to take as you prepare for your hospital discharge: 1. See a discharge planner. Try to do this at least a day before you leave … [Read more...]
7 Steps to Take Before Your Mesothelioma Surgery
Mesothelioma surgery, whether involving partial removal or (pleurectomy decortication) entire removal of the affected lining (pleurectomy decortication) of the lungs, remains one of the current treatment options for mesothelioma. That means coping with a hospital stay for mesothelioma patients – and their families. Recovering from mesothelioma surgery doesn’t make it any easier to decipher what’s going on at the hospital. But your well-being depends on doing just that. Being prepared ahead of time can help. Before You Go to the Hospital: 1. Review Hospital Ratings. Read up on hospital … [Read more...]
What Matters Most for a Successful Mesothelioma Surgery?
Mesothelioma surgery should be straightforward. But like so many aspects of this asbestos-caused disease, unfortunately it isn’t. As if coping with mesothelioma itself wasn’t difficult enough, the field of mesothelioma surgery research is rife with conflicting ideas and research over what is best. Here in Mesothelioma Circle we’ve reported on mesothelioma surgery studies that explore issues such as the potential benefit of surgery after chemotherapy, factors that help improve surgery results and whether mesothelioma surgery is beneficial at all. At present, we focus on a new study comparing … [Read more...]
4 Factors That Increase Mesothelioma Survival After Surgery
Trying to increase mesothelioma survival remains a goal for scientific researchers in laboratories but also for the medical practitioners who work with mesothelioma patients whether in the examining room or the surgical operating room. Everyone involved with this tragic disease wants to improve treatment options and expand mesothelioma survival to its fullest to help mesothelioma patients and their families enjoy every precious moment of life together that they can. One mesothelioma treatment option that is believed to help prolong mesothelioma survival is surgery. The aim of mesothelioma … [Read more...]
Tough Choices for Mesothelioma Patients and Surgical Options
For families facing malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), each decision is difficult. What can we do to ensure the comfort of our loved one? Where should we go to get the best medical consultations or legal advice? Should we think about the full round of treatments or stay more conservative? Those of us at Mesothelioma Circle have spent almost 40 years helping families make these tough but informed choices. Whether to pursue surgery for mesothelioma is one of the more difficult decisions patients and families have to make. Some doctors are adamant that radical operations will not cure the … [Read more...]