P/D Surgery for Mesothelioma Gives Patients Shot at Cancer-Free Life

Mesothelioma is a unique type of cancer. Tumors spread quickly and as little specks rather than one large, ever-growing mass.

This creates challenges for treatment, particularly surgery. When tumors spread as tiny masses, they can reach distant areas or hide in crevices. Tumors can persist after surgery and resume spreading.

One particular mesothelioma surgery, called pleurectomy/decortication, aims to give patients a recurrence-free life after treatment.

A study published in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery details how pleurectomy/decortication surgery – also shortened to P/D surgery – has hopeful rates of no recurrence for patients. The goal for surgery is to remove most, if not all, of the tumors. Any remaining cancer cells could be killed with chemotherapy, immunotherapy or radiation, but surgery needs to do most of the heavy lifting in eliminating large masses and prevalent diseased tissue.

 

What Is P/D Surgery?

Pleurectomy with decortication surgery is a type of mesothelioma surgery in which doctors remove a patient’s pleura, which is a thin tissue lining of the lungs. The pleura is where pleural mesothelioma tumors first appear. The tumors can quickly spread past the walls of the pleura and to the lungs or chest wall.

P/D surgery removes the pleura and all tumors within the lining. The lining is stripped off of the lungs, which can eliminate any tumors that have spread to the outside of the pleura and onto the surface of the lungs.

Doctors also may take out the patient’s diaphragm, which is a muscle separating the chest cavity from the abdomen, and the tissue lining around the patient’s heart. Pleural mesothelioma tumors often spread to these areas, so removing these parts of the body can eliminate metastatic  cancer cells.

 

Recurrence After P/D Surgery for Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma remains a challenging disease with a high rate of recurrence. Most people experience recurrence, or a return of their cancer, within months after ending chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatment.

In a study of 251 patients who underwent P/D surgery, 190 (75.7%) experienced a recurrence. However, most did not have a return of their cancer for more than a year after surgery.

Approximately 37% of patients were recurrence-free for at least 2 years, and 72% of them survived for at least 2 years.

For people who did have a return of their cancer, 61% of them lived for at least 1 year and the average survival was 18 months. This means even if the cancer returned, patients still had more than a year of valuable time with their loved ones. That’s the value of aggressive treatment.

 

P/D Surgery Survival Rates

Pleurectomy/decortication for mesothelioma can give patients 2-3 years of survival after the operation. This far surpasses the expected survival for patients not having surgery and instead relying on chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

Some people live 5 or more years after P/D surgery. Survival rates for mesothelioma can be misleading, and each case is different based on the patient’s health and other factors.

 

Top Doctors for P/D Surgery

There are dozens of surgeons in the United States with experience performing P/D surgery for mesothelioma. These surgeons are considered mesothelioma specialists. Patients should find a mesothelioma specialist for the best chances of a successful surgery and lengthy survival.

Three of the best surgeons for P/D surgery are:

• Dr. Hassan Khalil – Pleural mesothelioma specialist in Boston, MA
• Dr. Joseph Friedberg – Pleural mesothelioma specialist in Philadelphia, PA
• Dr. Adam Bograd – Pleural mesothelioma specialist in Seattle, WA

If you need help contacting any of these doctors – or another mesothelioma specialist – email registered nurse Karen Ritter at karen@mesotheliomaguide.com. She will help you connect with one of the top mesothelioma specialists in the world for your or a loved one’s treatment.