The challenges of treating malignant mesothelioma are well known. The rare and fatal form of cancer is notoriously resistant to traditional protocols, and historically most patients die within a year of their diagnosis. But a recent study conducted by researchers in Japan has shown that administering chemotherapy prior to surgery is an extremely effective option that extends life well beyond the typical survival period.
Chemotherapy Before Surgery Extends Mesothelioma Survival
The results of the mesothelioma study were published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. The article documents the treatment of 24 patients diagnosed with and being treated for pleural mesothelioma. This is notable, since most mesothelioma studies are retrospective and rely on data from patients treated in the past. This prospective study followed patients through the course of their treatment.
The researchers gauged the survival time for mesothelioma patients who were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, or chemotherapy prior to another treatment – in this case prior to surgery. Administering chemotherapy pre-surgically causes the tumors to shrink, providing surgeons with less tissue to remove. Of the 24 patients treated with chemotherapy, eighteen had either pleurectomy/decortication or another type of procedure that removed all of their tumors. The results indicated significant survival benefits from the specific combination and order of the two protocols.
Neoadjavant Chemotherapy and Surgery Delivers 3.45 Year Median Overall Survival for Mesothelioma Patients
The Japanese researchers demonstrated a significant survival benefit from the delivery of neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to surgery, though they did note a slight decline in patients’ lung function. At the one-year anniversary of their surgery, ninety-five percent of the mesothelioma patients were still alive and at the two-year mark seventy percent were still living.
The 15 mesothelioma patients who followed chemotherapy with pleurectomy/decortication had a remarkable median overall survival time of 3.45 years. The study’s lead author, Seiki Hasagawa, expressed optimism at the group’s results, writing, “Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by pleurectomy/decortication was feasible with acceptable survival and mortality/morbidity.”
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, studies like these offer significant reason for hope. For more information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
