Treating Mesothelioma – Surgery - Pleurodesis
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Share ArticleMesothelioma is a rare but devastating cancer that works its way through the body and attacks some of the most delicate tissues within. Often referred to as asbestos cancer, mesothelioma has no known cure, and the malignant cells may spread throughout the body.
Mesothelioma is a challenging disease, not only due to its complications and difficult treatments, but also because it is not simple to diagnose. Its symptoms mirror several other diseases and conditions, presenting numerous challenges for medical staff. Many steps must be taken in order to determine that a patient actually should be diagnosed with mesothelioma, including a biopsy, lung function tests and a variety of radiological tests. Because mesothelioma can go undiagnosed for a very long time, often the only treatment options once it is discovered are palliative rather than curative.
There are several forms of this disease, all of which affect the tissues that protect the internal organs, such as the heart and lungs. Most commonly, malignant mesothelioma will manifest itself in the outer tissues surrounding the lungs. When mesothelimoa arises from the lining in the lungs, it is known as pleural mesothelioma. Patients suffering from this condition may have some trouble breathing, an increased heart rate and shortness of breath. If untreated, pleural mesothelioma will certainly result in death; however, there are several different treatment options. Surgery can achieve a number of different results for pleural mesothelioma patients, one of which is strictly designed to alleviate pain, discomfort and some of the most persistent symptoms of the disease.
Pleurodesis combats the myriad of symptoms affecting the respiratory system and can give the patient relief from shortness of breath, one of the most persistent and prevalent problems caused by the disease. Treating mesothelioma with a surgery known as pleurodesis is not intended to cure the patient or give them a second chance at life. A patient will experience shortness of breath with pleural mesothelioma because the cancer causes an excess of fluid to collect between the outer lining of the lungs and the chest wall. The fluid hinders the inflation of the lungs, preventing patients from enjoying a full breath and leaving them gasping for air at times. Respiratory struggles like this one can be alleviated through pleurodesis.
Pleurodesis serves to prevent fluid from building up in the lungs. The first step in this procedure is to drain any existing excess fluid from the chest cavity. Next, the space between the outer lining of the lung and the chest wall is filled with a substance that causes these two surfaces to adhere to one another. There are two substances, talcum or an antibiotic, that can be injected into the chest to stop the lungs from filling with fluid again. If the two surfaces are stuck together, there is no space left for fluid to collect, thus alleviating many of the respiratory complications associated with pleural mesothelioma. Pleurodesis is often performed on patients who are in moderate to advanced stages of the disease.
This surgical procedure generally does not pose significant risks for patients. Prior to undergoing any type of surgery, a patient will need to have a thorough medical examination and possibly several tests. Mesothelioma is known as an aggressive disease. This means that a cure is highly unlikely, but with procedures like pleurodesis, mesothelioma is not a sentence to a sedentary and mundane life. Patients can continue to enjoy their quality of life by working closely with doctors to control the mesothelioma symptoms that this cancer will inflict on their bodies.
Taking steps toward control and disease management and maintaining a positive attitude with make great strides in the fight against mesothelioma.
- International Mesothelioma Program, David J. Sugarbaker, MD - "Pleurodesis", http://www.impmeso.org/pleurodesis/c28_p24/Mesothelioma_Treatments/Traditional_Treatments/
Mesothelioma_Surgery/Pleural_Mesothelioma/Pleurodesis.html, - Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, MayoClinic.com - "Mesothelioma: Treatment"
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