The researchers observed that among the 3-year survivors, 39 were women, 61had left-sided tumor, and the average age was 56 years. In fact, more of the survivors were at the average age or younger, were women, had a tumor made up of epithelial cells, and/or had normal white blood cell count, hemoglobin, or platelet count before the operation pleural mesothelioma .
The average survival time of the 117 patients who survived for three years or more was 59 months. However, the researchers noted that a significant association between age and survival was found for women. No such association existed for men who underwent extrapleural pneumonectomy.
“A significant proportion of patients undergoing extrapleural pneumonectomy for pleural mesothelioma experienced extended survival. Although favorable prognostic features were more common, the cohort of 3-year survivors included a substantial number of patients with late-stage disease. The longest survival (median greater than 7 years) was experienced by women under the median age of 56 years.”
They also felt that the evidence supported the use of extrapleural pneumonectomy for debulking a large portion of the tumor as part of a multimodality therapy, meaning using more than one treatment, to extend survival for malignant pleural mesothelioma.
A major symptom associated with pleural mesothelioma is what is known as dyspnea, or shortness of breath. A form of dyspnea, called orthopnea, which is difficulty breathing unless sitting/standing upright, can also be a symptom. Extrapleural pneumonectomy has been used to relieve, or palliate, these symptoms. However, a new study questions the benefit of such extreme surgery for symptom improvement given its high mortality rate and rate of disease recurrence.
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