Extrapleural pneumonectomy is surgery to remove a diseased lung, part of the pericardium (membrane covering the heart), part of the diaphragm (muscle between the lungs and the abdomen), and part of the parietal pleura (membrane lining the chest).
Extrapleural pneumonectomy may improve survival, but its impact on long-term survival is unknown. Aggressive treatment help some people, but even experienced oncologists still aren’t sure which treatments provide the best benefits. It is likely that different patients do better with different therapies, which is why treatment plans are individualized.
Combinations of treatments (e.g. surgery plus combination chemotherapy) are often employed.
Doctors often recommend pleurectomy and decortication (removal of part or all of the external surface of the lung or mesothelium) to remove the bulk of the malignant tissue, which reduces pressure in the chest and can reduce pain experienced by the patient. There is always a risk with surgery, but experience with pleurectomy/decortication shows that less than 2% of patients die during the surgery.
The more radical extrapleural pneumonectomy has a mortality rate between 6% and 30% according to the National Cancer Institute.
Radiation therapy and chemotherapy are usually done after surgery but they have not been effective in improving survival. Radiation therapy has been shown to alleviate pain in most patients for a limited time.
Doctors have tried to find an optimal chemotherapy regimen, and both single-agent (one drug) and combination (two or more drugs) regimens have been evaluated in clinical trials. While there is no definitive chemotherapy regimen for pleural mesothelioma patients, the most common technique employed by oncologists uses the anti-folate pemetrexed and the alkylating agent cisplatin. Your doctor may recommend a different regimen if your condition warrants.Cool. Pleural Mesothelioma Treatment Options.
Pleural Mesothelioma Treatment Options Video :
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