Extending Late-Stage Mesothelioma Survival with Light Energy

Thoracic surgeon Dr. Joseph Friedberg and his colleagues identified a subset of patients with pleural mesothelioma who achieved a median overall survival of 7.3 years — an impressive survival compared to the usual one-year prognosis. The findings, which were published recently in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, stemmed from a retrospective study that detailed significant progress in the fight against this incurable, asbestos-related cancer. The study included 73 patients with epithelioid mesothelioma who were treated at the Penn Medicine Abramson Cancer Center, where Friedberg practiced before taking the role of director of the Mesothelioma and Thoracic Oncology Treatment and Research Center at the University of Maryland in 2015. As part of their multidisciplinary treatment, Friedberg performed the aggressive pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) surgery, and they received intraoperative photodynamic therapy (PDT) and chemotherapy. Among all participants, the median overall survival and disease-free survival was 3.0 and 1.2 years, respectively, almost double the typical prognosis for this disease. But a subset of 19 patients without lymph node metastases showed a median progression-free and overall survival of 2.3 and 7.3 years, respectively. Friedberg, director of the Mesothelioma and Thoracic Oncology Treatment and Research Center at the University of Maryland, said the results were “not anticipated, but very encouraging.” “That was not anticipated, but [it&#...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: doctor joseph friedberg late stage mesothelioma stage 3 mesothelioma stage 4 mesothelioma stage III mesothelioma stage IV mesothelioma treatment for late stage mesothelioma treatment for pleural mesothelioma Source Type: news