When you’ve been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, your instinct may be to take your time and weigh your medical options. Unfortunately, the aggressive nature of the asbestos-related disease means decisions need to be made quickly, including regarding the type of surgery to have. With both available approaches that each offer advantages and disadvantages, the choice is not easy. A new predictive test may help.
Two Types of Surgery Available for Pleural Mesothelioma
Patients who are candidates for surgical resection of their pleural mesothelioma tumors have two different options for the type of surgery they have. The more aggressive of the two, extrapleural pneumonectomy, removes the affected lung and other tissues. The less invasive is called pleurectomy with decortication, and it is a lung-sparing surgery that simply removes the pleural membrane and other tissues.
While recovery from pleurectomy with decortication is less challenging, many physicians believe that extrapleural pneumonectomy offers a greater chance for complete removal of cancerous tissue.
Harvard Team Finds Predictive Markers in Tissue from Mesothelioma Patients
In an effort to see whether biomarkers in tissue taken from mesothelioma patients could help guide the choice between surgeries, a team from Harvard examined samples from 400 patients who had undergone both surgeries over an eight-year period. They found that the presence of a specific molecular subtype gave valuable clues as to what surgery would be best for specific patients’ survival.
Writing in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, lead author Beow Yeap wrote, “The Mesothelioma Prognostic Test (MPT) and molecular subtype based on Claudin-15 to Vimentin (C/V) expression ratio are molecular signatures associated with survival.” He went on to say, “MPT, molecular subtype, TV, and NLR were independently prognostic in EPP patients. In the PD cohort (N=193), MPT poor risk combined with TV>200 cc was associated with triple the risk compared to other subgroups…” This is expected to be extremely helpful to surgeons as they treat patients in the future.
If you or someone you love is facing difficult decisions following a mesothelioma diagnosis, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to get started.
