Trimodality Therapy May Increase Mesothelioma Survival Times

A recent publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology showed that a three-pillar approach to the treatment of aggressive tumors are rare, but mesothelioma - called trimodality therapy - improvement in patient survival times. A team of scientists, headed by Dr. Lee Krug, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York after treatment of 77 patients from phase I to phase III of mesothelioma. Patients did not have surgery, lung function seems reasonable, and were fully active or limited by the long activity. The study was part of a phase II study to evaluate the effectiveness of the fight against mesothelioma with a three-part treatment consisting of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy. Mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the mucous membranes of the lung, heart and stomach, from exposure to asbestos. This disease most often affects lung function, so that symptoms can be easily with other diseases such as emphysema and pulmonary tuberculosis. Mesothelioma is difficult to diagnose in later stages of the disease. If treatment is started, the tumor is usually already, and has a poor prognosis. Krug and his first chemotherapy to patients. In the end many showed a pathological complete remission - the disappearance of all clinical symptoms. It is important to note that this does not mean that cancer has been cured, as some cells of mesothelioma, without symptoms. Fifty-four patients, and surgery to remove the diseased lung, diaphragm and lungs feed. Forty-four of these patients, followed by radiotherapy. The patients, three levels of treatment showed a median survival of 29.1 months, and two years survival of 61.2%. In comparison, the median survival for all patients in the study - including those that have one or two courses of treatment - in 17 months. Based on this study, trimodality could be an effective treatment for the treatment of patients with mesothelioma, for his life.