Mesothelioma Attorney

Hope for Peritoneal Mesothelioma Patients

For individuals who have been diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, there is new hope in the world of treatment for the disease. A new study conducted by the Washington Cancer Institute shows that individuals who undergo surgery and chemotherapy may be able to live for years, not less than a year, which is the norm for people not treated with surgery and chemotherapy.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is much rarer than the pleural mesothelioma that affects the lungs. It accounts for about one quarter of all mesothelioma cases diagnosed each year.

In the study that was conducted, 65 patients underwent surgery to remove the mesothelioma cancer cells and tumor. This process is called cytoreductive or debulking surgery and can last hours. In some cases, it was necessary to remove a portion of the stomach in addition to the tumor.

During the debulking or cytoreductive surgery, the patients’ insides received a bath in two standard chemotherapy drugs. The drug solution was warmed and administered into the abdominal cavities. This procedure is known as hyperthermic intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy or HIIC. Immediately after surgery, the patients were treated for five days with a different chemotherapy drug.

For individuals who participated in the study, the median survival time for the 65 patients was 79 months. This means that half of the patients lived longer than 79 months and half lived for less than 79 months. In addition to a much longer survival time than untreated fellow sufferers, these patients were freed from the build-up of excess fluid in the stomach cavity.

Survival length was also tied to how much of the tumor the surgeons were able to remove. Obviously, the more that was removed the better chance the procedure had of succeeding.

Contact a Mesothelioma Attorney

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma following asbestos exposure, contact the mesothelioma attorney of Williams Kherkher at 1-800-220-9341.