Mesothelioma Information

Mesothelioma surgery is one three traditional modalities used to treat the somewhat rare asbestos cancer of the mesothelial tissue. Although mesothelioma surgery is viewed as a more aggressive and proactive method through which to treat the disease, it has thus far been unable to yield a long-term solution.

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy are the other two traditional treatment options from which to choose. Mesothelioma surgery is often used in conjunction with one or more of these traditional modalities in an effort to target the cancer by harnessing the strengths of multiple treatment types. For example, trimodality therapy typically uses chemotherapy drug treatments to slow the growth of a cancer prior to surgical removal of a tumor mass. Postoperative radiation therapy is then used to stave off the possibility of cancer redevelopment.

Mesothelioma surgery is often used as a curative treatment measure; however, there are three unique types of surgery:

1. Diagnostic surgery
2. Palliative surgery
3. Curative surgery

Diagnostic Surgery

Malignant mesothelioma can be diagnosed via the aid of chest imaging technologies (x-ray, MRI, CT scan), though the disease may be misdiagnosed as viral pneumonia. In order to obtain a definitive mesothelioma diagnosis, a surgical biopsy is required. A biopsy is a type of diagnostic surgery through which a section of suspect tissue is removed for examination by a histopathologist. Experienced in the study of diseased tissue, a histopathologist is able to verify a case of malignant mesothelioma while providing valuable information about the stage of the disease and determining an appropriate course of treatment.

Palliative Surgery

Palliative surgery is performed to treat the symptoms of a disease as opposed to the disease itself. Since malignant mesothelioma is an incurable disease, many sufferers who undergo surgical procedures are doing so for the purpose of treating a painful symptom. Palliative mesothelioma surgical practices are designed to allow sufferers to live out their remaining days in relative comfort.

One of the more common symptoms of mesothelioma is pleural effusion, a buildup of fluid inside the pleural space. This most common of mesothelioma symptoms can be remedied by draining the fluid; however, it is common for the symptom to return regularly following drainage. The only way to rid oneself from the possibility of redeveloping pleural effusion following fluid drainage is by closing the pleural space through surgical means (pleurodesis).

Palliative mesothelioma surgery is common because of the nature of the cancer. Mesothelioma is a latent disease that can take 30 to 40 years to fully develop. Once symptomatic, the disease is typically well advanced and impossible to treat. Surgical options are often limited because of mesothelioma metastasis. Sufferers, on average, are given a mere one to two years to live. Without being able to treat the disease itself, the only thing left to treat are its symptoms.

Curative Surgery

Curative surgery is the most aggressive type of mesothelioma surgery as it involves taking a proactive approach towards complete removal of a tumor mass from a sufferer's body. Curative surgical procedures are rarely performed without the aid of another type of cancer treatment, be it chemotherapy or radiation therapy (or sometimes both). The additional therapy is administered preoperatively or postoperatively (or sometimes both) with the goal of slowing the spread of a tumor or killing remaining tumor cells.

Although performed with "curative intent," curative surgeries have been unable to eradicate malignant mesothelioma. Highly involved curative surgical procedures like an extrapleural pneumonectomy are not able to save a mesothelioma sufferer's life; however, they have proven to be effective in significantly increasing survival time by as much as five years (more than two times average survival time).