Mesothelioma Surgery Improves Quality of Life

Renowned thoracic surgeon Dr. Wickii Vigneswaran in Chicago believes far too many patients with pleural mesothelioma are being denied aggressive surgeries that could improve their quality of life. He wants to fix that dilemma. Vigneswaran, a mesothelioma specialist at the Loyola University Medical Center, authored a recent study debunking the long-standing belief that major surgery is too taxing for all but the healthiest patients. “It’s the medical community, the referring physicians, even the oncologists, who are telling patients that surgery is not an option for them, that it will hurt their quality of life,” Vigneswaran told Asbestos.com. “But that’s just not true anymore. Most of these patients would benefit from surgery.” Less than 30 percent of mesothelioma patients actually undergo aggressive surgery with a pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) or an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP). Vigneswaran believes that rate should be at least double. Quality of life almost always improves after surgery, regardless of the starting point, Vigneswaran said. Mesothelioma Surgery Helps Patients Live Better The American Society of Clinical Oncology presented the study’s findings earlier this month at its annual meeting in Chicago. “This is a very important study. We need to get this information out there,” Vigneswaran said. “These patients can have a good quality of life. They aren’t going to live forever, but they should be...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: cancer surgery cancer treatment mesothelioma mesothelioma surgery mesothelioma treatment Wickii Vigneswaran Source Type: news