Physicians treating patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma have long relied on CT scans to help with diagnosis and with assessing disease progression. Now a team of researchers from MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. has published a study showing that CT technology can also be used to predict patient outcomes.
Dr. Paul Sugarbaker Leads Mesothelioma Research Team
The researchers led by Dr. Paul Sugarbaker set out to identify just how valuable CT scans can be when dealing with peritoneal mesothelioma patients. The team identified eleven different specific CT findings that have traditionally been viewed as troubling. They then examined preoperative CT scans that had been performed on 100 peritoneal mesothelioma patients to see how often those findings were present.
The mesothelioma researchers found that between 5 percent and 41 percent of the 100 patients had some of the eleven identified concerning CT findings. Of those, nine of the 11 were identified as being statistically significant in their ability to predict how patients would fare and how long they would survive with their disease.
Results Add CT to List of Useful Prognostic Tools
Prior to this research, the two tools that were most commonly relied upon for assessing peritoneal mesothelioma prognosis were PCI, or Peritoneal Cancer Index, and CC, or completeness of cytoreduction, which refers to how much cancerous tissue is removed during surgery.
According to Dr. Sugarbaker, their research places the troubling CT findings on equal footing with those two other tools for accuracy of peritoneal mesothelioma prognosis. “The prognostic information from concerning CT features compared favorably with the prognostic implications of PCI and CC score,” he wrote. He went on to say that this information would be “of great value” for physicians as they move forward with patient treatment plans.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, it is important that you seek treatment from physicians with access to the most recent research and state-of-the-art treatment. For accessing these resources, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608
