Surgery: Mesothelioma Treatment Option
Determining If Surgery Is Right For You
To determine if surgery is needed and possible, specialists will play out a pneumonic capacity test, a heart test (usually an electrocardiogram (EKG)), an anxiety test, an angiogram, and an echocardiogram. These will figure out whether your lungs and heart are sufficiently solid and strong enough to endure the surgery but also capable enough to recuperate.
If it is determined that you are a candidate for surgery, which implies that you are sufficiently stable and that the mesothelioma hasn’t metastasized too widely, the next step is for a mesothelioma specialist that you have assigned to your diagnosis to determine the stage and location (type of mesothelioma) of your cancer.
Given the irregularity and multifaceted nature of mesothelioma, it is imperative to see a doctor with experience in treating this disease. If you are suffering from pleural or pericardial mesothelioma, you will be referred to a thoracic specialist. Thoracic specialists spend significant time in surgery healing the heart, lungs, and zones of the mid-section. In the event that you are diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, you will be referred to a gastrointestinal specialist. Gastrointestinal specialists have expertise in surgery with the abdominal area.
Information On Curative Surgeries For Mesothelioma
Surgery labeled as curative is meant to extend the life expectancy of the patient by removing tumors and can dramatically improve their quality of life. Ideal candidates will still be in the early stages of the cancer and the tumor will be localized. It will not have metastasized and the patient will be in good health with now other serious medical issues.
Overview
- Wide local excision: This is a surgery that removes the cancer as well as some of the healthy tissue that surrounds it.
- Pleurectomy/Decortication P/D: Surgery that removes all or part of the mesothelial lining of the lung and chest cavity.
- Pneumonectomy: Surgery to remove all or part of a lung.
- Extrapleural pneumonectomy: Surgery that removes a whole lung and some of the lining of the diaphragm, chest and the sac that is around the heart.
- Pleurodesis: Procedure that uses drugs or chemicals in order to make a scar between the layers of the pleura. Fluid is drained from the space first with a chest tube, then the chemical is put into that space. The subsequent scarring will stop the buildup of fluid inside the pleural cavity.
- Pleurocentesis: Removal of the build of fluid in the space around the lungs.
A Closer Look at Types of Surgery
Pleurectomy Decortication P/D Is an aggressive surgery treatment option for pleural mesothelioma. It is a two part surgery, the first part removes the lining surrounding a lung, and then any additional tumors that are growing inside the chest cavity are removed. The advantage to this surgery is that a patient is able to keep their lungs. The procedure takes about 5 hours.
This surgery is generally performed on patients that are in good health and are also still in the early stages of the disease. Patients who have this surgery can increase their life span significantly, especially when it is combined using the multimodal approach that includes radiation and chemotherapy.
Pleurectomy was at one time a single procedure used mainly for alleviating pain and reducing fluid buildup in the lungs. Today it is seldom performed without the decertification portion which has been made possible new advancements in surgery.
Extrapleural pneumonectomy / EPP is another aggressive surgery in which an entire lung is removed along with parts of the pericardium, diaphragm and nearby lymph nodes. This is a controversial and dangerous surgery and is almost exclusively used to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma, cancer that is confined to the chest cavity. EPP can help control the growth of tumors.
This surgery is performed when the patient is still in the beginning stages of the disease before the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or the other surrounding organs. Performing this surgery allows the surgeon to remove the maximum amount of cancerous cells and tissue, however since mesothelioma is often not diagnosed until it reaches stages III or IV, only a few patients are eligible for this type of surgery.
This procedure requires the patient to be under general anesthesia. An incision is made into the chest and the 6th rib may be removed in order to remove the diseased lung. The diseased lung is first collapsed and the major blood vessels are clamped and then the lung is removed, along with the pericardium, pleural lining, and parts of the diaphragm. The space is then patched with synthetic material and finally, the incision is sutured closed.
This procedure can increase a patient’s lifespan since it removes most of the cancerous cells. When this procedure is combined with radiation and chemotherapy, it can increase a patient’s life by years. It is a potentially curative procedure and at this time may be the most effective way to treat and control mesothelioma.
Pleurocentesis, also known as thoracentesis, can be performed to relieve the pressure and reduce the pain of the fluid that builds up around the lungs. This procedure can be performed as often as necessary in order to provide relief to the patient and include his/her quality of life.
This procedure is usually done in an outpatient setting after an imaging scan has been done. The scan allows the doctor to determine how much of the fluid is present and he can then proceed to remove it. During the procedure the patient is sitting up and usually leans forward onto a table. The area where the needle will be inserted, generally between the ribs, is numbed and then the doctor inserts the needle. The patient experiences very little pain and after the fluid is removed the area is bandaged. The procedure is usually completed within 30 minutes.
This procedure can be done either at the bedside or in the operating room. The location is determined by the condition of the patient. When this procedure is done at the bedside, the patient will receive a general anesthetic and the doctor will insert a very large needle into the chest. If the procedure is done in an operating room, the patient will undergo general anesthesia and the doctors will use video-assisted thoracoscopy which aids the surgeon when guiding the needle.
Regardless of where the procedure takes place, the process is the same, the tip of a needle will be inserted into the pleural space which is between the membranes, and then attached to a drainage tube. To avoid a drastic reduction in blood pressure, the fluid is drained slowly and once it has been removed the doctor will used the needle and inject the talc solution into the space.
Entry Point Sites
The area of the entry for surgery will rely on upon which procedure is performed. Here are a few common surgeries as well as their entry point locales:
- Extrapleural pneumonectomy — From the patient’s back under the shoulder to the 6th rib.
- Pleurectomy/decortication — On patient’s fifth or seventh rib (the stomach area)
- Thoracotomy — Under the arm, or between the ribs
- Pleurodesis — From the shoulder bone to the rib, may take a few entry points
- Paracentesis — Needle embedded in stomach area
Dangers and Side Effects
With any surgery, there are dangers connected with the procedure. These dangers as well as adverse effects include:
- Pain at site of incision
- Swelling,
- Seepage
- Possible Death
- Weariness
- Heart entanglements if surgery is performed at the mid-section
Contingent upon the sort of surgery, uncommon complications may arise like, kidney dysfunction, low circulatory strain, profound vein thrombosis, air spill, discharge, loss of motion, and there is always the possibility of medical malpractice.
Surgery alternatives accessible to you will rely upon the phase of your sickness at analysis and the condition of your general wellbeing. For mesothelioma treatment, a few surgeries are to be expected as a healing measure, while others might be palliative. These would be prescribed to ease manifestations of the illness that are limiting the day to day activities and lifestyle of the patient.
While examining treatment options with your oncologist, make sure to also talk about complementary therapies. These therapies are regularly part of a bigger treatment plan that can incorporate a sense of peace, stress relief, and overall wellbeing.
Specific Surgeries For Mesothelioma Cancer
Show Sources
Resources:
- “Pleurodesis treatment.” CancerUK.org. http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=5291
- https://www.bcm.edu/healthcare/care-centers/lung-institute/general-thoracic-surgery-clinic/procedures/pleurectomy-decortication
- Eldridge, L., MD. (2012, April 6). Pneumonectomy as a Treatment for Lung Cancer. Retrieved from: http://lungcancer.about.com/od/treatmentoflungcancer/a/pneumonectomy.htm
- http://www.surgeryencyclopedia.com/Pa-St/Pneumonectomy.html
- Baldi, A., Mesothelioma from Bench Side to Clinic. Nova Biomedical Books: New York. 2008.
- Bhimji, S. (2010, November 1). Biopsy. U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. Retrieved from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003416.htm
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