Italian Researchers Reveal Promising Results from Study of HITHOC’s Use in Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma is a notoriously challenging disease. Always considered a terminal diagnosis, the rare form of asbestos-related cancer is also extremely aggressive, claiming its victims’ lives in a painfully short period. To counter this, researchers around the world are working to find therapies that extend life in a way that also improves quality of life. Recently researchers from the University of Pisa in Italy published encouraging results from a study of chemotherapy directly applied to the impacted site.

surgical innovations

Heated Chemotherapy Limits the Regrowth of Mesothelioma Tumors

Heated chemotherapy is a protocol that has been used successfully to treat malignant peritoneal mesothelioma: surgeons have administered the special solution following surgical removal of tumors from the abdominal cavity, hoping to kill any microscopic cancer cells that remain. That procedure is known as HIPEC, or Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

HITHOC, or hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy, is a similar procedure used to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma, which appears in the thoracic cavity on the membrane that surrounds the lungs. The advantage of direct application of chemotherapy is that it avoids the negative systemic effects of chemotherapy taken orally or intravenously. The Italian researchers reviewed results from procedures conducted over nearly thirty years, finding that it successfully acts to limit the regrowth of tumors and helps extend patients’ lives.

Study Reports HITHOC Yields “Safe, Feasible, and Effective” Results for Pleural Mesothelioma Patients

Writing in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, Dr. Vitorrio Aprile and colleagues wrote, “From 1994 to date, different authors experimented [with] HITHOC following a cytoreductive surgery in malignant pleural mesothelioma, obtaining in most cases a good local control and a better overall survival associated [with a] very low complication rate.” Their final words on the procedure were “safe, feasible, and effective,” though they also acknowledge that more studies need to be conducted.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and you need more information on the resources and solutions available to you, call 1-800-692-8608 to speak to the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today. 

Terri Heimann Oppenheimer

Terri Oppenheimer

Writer
Terri Heimann Oppenheimer is the head writer of our Mesothelioma.net news blog. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in English. Terri believes that knowledge is power and she is committed to sharing news about the impact of mesothelioma, the latest research and medical breakthroughs, and victims’ stories.

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