New Radiotherapy Can Double Two-Year Survival for Mesothelioma

A novel radiotherapy regimen can double the chances of surviving two or more years with pleural mesothelioma, according to Dr. Marco Trovo at University Hospital of Udine in Italy. Trovo is the lead author of a study involving 108 patients treated for malignant mesothelioma between 2014 and 2018 at the National Cancer Institute in Aviano, Italy. He presented the findings this week at the annual European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology convention in Milan. “Radiotherapy has evolved dramatically in the last few years, so we wanted to see if it could now be used to prevent cancer from spreading to nearby tissue, hopefully bringing improvements in survival,” Trovo said during his presentation. “This research shows a clear survival benefit.” He believes the findings have the potential to change standard-of-care treatment for pleural mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer that starts in the lining around the lungs. Radiation Can Provide Survival Benefits All mesothelioma patients in the study had some form of surgery, but none of which provided a complete resection of cancer. Patients also underwent adjuvant chemotherapy treatment. The randomized trial included half the patients receiving more traditional, palliative radiation treatment that is provided for patients at most cancer centers. The other half in the study received a more aggressive hemi-thoracic radiotherapy, which included 25 treatments delivered to the side of the body where the majority of...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news