Survival of peritoneal mesothelioma prolonged with new surgical technique

Published on February 02, 2023

Every day, researchers and doctors work to find new and better ways to care for mesothelioma patients. A recent report reveals that renowned surgeon Dr. Paul Sugarbaker has identified a new surgical technique that could allow patients diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma to survive longer.

Renowned mesothelioma surgeon shows success with new technology

dr Paul Sugarbaker is a surgeon at the Washington Cancer Institute in Washington, DC. A recently published study in the Case reports from the International Journal of Surgery describes the case of a patient with peritoneal mesothelioma who experienced significant long-term survival after using a new surgical technique that removed both tumorous tissue and a body part called the colonic mesentery.

Although removal of this tissue is not generally removed when mesothelioma patients undergo tumor resection, Dr. Sugarbaker that this was necessary in the case of this patient and proved effective. “This required visceral resections, parietal peritonectomy, peritonectomy of the small bowel and its mesentery, and peritoneal resection of the colonic mesentery while sparing the large vessels of the colon.” At the time of writing, the patient had survived four years with “excellent” quality of life.

New technique could become the standard for peritoneal mesothelioma surgery

Patients diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma generally survive longer than patients with pleural mesothelioma, but the condition is still considered incurable. The use of this new surgical approach in combination with the use of heated chemotherapy can result in a significant prognosis for patients diagnosed with the rare, asbestos-related disease.

dr Writing about the success achieved by removing this small membrane, Sugarbaker said, “Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma has historically been a limited-survival disease with no effective treatment options. A series of cytoreductive surgeries and regional chemotherapy regimens has enabled long-term survival.”

The opportunities for people diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma are improving every day. For more information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.

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Written by Terri Oppenheimer

Terri Heimann Oppenheimer is the main author of our news blog Mesothelioma.net. She graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in English. Terri believes knowledge is power, and she is committed to sharing news about the effects of mesothelioma, the latest research and medical breakthroughs, and the stories of victims.

Find out more about and contact Terri