Mesothelioma Information

Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive type of cancer, linked exclusively to asbestos exposure.   The fatal asbestos disease can take as long as 40-years to become symptomatic.  By the time most mesothelioma sufferers are diagnosed with the rare mesothelial cancer, the disease has typically reached an advanced, metastasized stage, inhibiting treatment options and producing an average post-diagnostic survival time of one to two years.

Curative mesothelioma surgery is a highly invasive procedure that aims to rid a patient of all signs of the cancer.   While curative surgery is often effective in treating some types of cancer, it has been unable to serve as a successful curative treatment for mesothelioma cancer.

Although curative surgery cannot cure malignant mesothelioma patients, it can significantly increase survivability. While the prospect of suffering through invasive surgery for the purpose of adding minimal amounts of time onto one's life might not seem appealing, it can help to play and integral role in future treatment of the disease. New mesothelioma treatment modalities and chemotherapy drugs are continuously being researched, developed and tested. 

There are two major types of curative mesothelioma surgery:

• Pleurectomy / Decortication
• Extrapleural pneumonectomy

Pleurectomy / Decortication

Pleurectomy is a surgical procedure involving the removal of the pleura (mesothelial tissue lining the lung cavity). Decortication is a type of surgical procedure involving the removal of all or part of the outer membrane of an organ; a pleurectomy is therefore a type of pleural decortication. Pleurectomy mesothelioma surgery can be used as a curative procedure for early stage pleural mesothelioma patients in an attempt to remove all mesothelioma cancer cells; however, pleurectomies have proven to be ineffective in the removal of all gross tumor from the chest, even when performed in conjunction with the removal of the lung (pneumonectomy).

Although unsuccessful as a type of curative surgical procedure, pleurectomy often functions well as a type of palliative surgical procedure for mesothelioma patients suffering from a buildup of fluid inside the pleural space (pleural effusion).

Extrapleural Pneumonectomy

Although unable to serve as a curative solution for mesothelioma sufferers, extrapleural pneumonectomy is the most aggressive type surgery through which to combat the disease; capable of exhibiting some incredible survivability results (if successful, patients can experience an incredible 5-year survival rate).

Extrapleural pneumonectomy surgery requires entrance into the chest over the unrestricted sixth rib (the sixth rib is occasionally removed). Extrapleural dissection follows, during which the surgeon takes great care to avoid entering the pleural cavity, as this could cause spillage of malignant cells within the operative field. The parietal pleura is removed along with the pericardium (lining of the heart), the diaphragm (the muscle that assists with breathing) and the appropriate lung (dependent on affected side of the chest).

Extrapleural pneumonectomy surgery is often performed as part of trimodality therapy, during which a mesothelioma patient undergoes chemotherapy treatment to slow the spread/growth of cancer prior to surgery. Postoperative radiation therapy is utilized in effort to kill any lingering cancer cells and prevent recurrence.

Although extrapleural pneumonectomy is highly invasive and requires a great deal of pre-operative and postoperative care, its effectiveness in producing a 5-year survival rate makes it an incredibly effective method through which to aggressively treat a case of malignant pleural mesothelioma.