For those diagnosed with cancer, often surgery offers patients the best chance to successfully fight their cancer. Malignant mesothelioma is no exception to this rule. And while surgery for mesothelioma patients will not be able to cure the disease, it is generally considered to be the best mesothelioma treatment for those patients who are eligible. Surgical resection of mesothelioma tumor offers patients the longest prognoses out of any treatment. However, eligibility for surgery is extremely limited and several factors may eliminate any given patient from surgery as a viable treatment option.
Surgery is limited in most cases because surgical resection requires an early mesothelioma diagnosis. Mesothelioma symptoms are very hard to distinguish until it reaches its later stages, meaning early stage cases will often go undetected unless stumbled upon during some other type of medical procedure. This is not unheard of, as many patients’ disease was found during a routine chest or other body scans. So, if you are a mesothelioma patient and surgery appears to be an option for you, it may be a highly beneficial procedure that could add years to your prognosis.
What exactly does surgery entail for patients of malignant mesothelioma? Many smaller surgical procedures offer palliative treatment to patients of malignant mesothelioma. However, more intensive procedures are only undertaken in cases where they will significantly benefit the patient beyond simple elimination of discomfort. There are essentially two such procedures that are generally done on patients of mesothelioma. The first is known as a pneumonectomy, which involves removal of either a portion of the lung or the entire lung. A more intensive procedure is now being used as well, known as an extra-pleural pneumonectomy. If a patient is healthy enough this surgery can extend prognoses to levels unfathomable just a few years ago. This surgery involves the removal of the pleura, diaphragm, pericardium, as well as the affected lung. After these structures are removed the diaphragm and pericardium are reconstructed using prosthetic material.
Surgical resection is a valuable treatment for those who are eligible. Even if you have not yet been diagnosed with mesothelioma, regular checkups for those at risk of mesothelioma (those with known past asbestos exposures) is the single most important factor for the availability of premier treatments like surgery. Only you and your physician can know what the best treatment is for you. But knowing the options beforehand can allow you and your doctors to make a more guided decision regarding your treatment roadmap.