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Mesothelioma treatment details. Radiation, Surgery.

University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States.

Survival: monthsCountry:United States
Toxiciy Grade:5City/State/Province:San Francisco, California
Treatments:Radiation, SurgeryHospital:University of California, San Francisco
Drugs:Journal:Link
Date:Dec 2002

Description:

Patients: This study involved 28 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. (The number of patients started at 32, but several were excluded from the analysis because of various reasons.) Of the 28 patients, two died postoperatively – one died of a pulmonary embolus one day after surgery and the other patient died of acute respiratory arrest with hypotension and multi-organ failure ten days after surgery.

Treatment: The treatment consisted of surgery and radiation. In addition, 12 patients also received chemotherapy. The surgery comprised radical pleurectomy/decortication and the radiation comprised intraoperative radiotherapy (radiation during surgery) followed by external beam radiation.

Toxicity: Major postoperative complications included atrial fibrillation (3 patients) and persistent air leak of more than 7 days (1 patient). The primary side-effects from external beam radiation was radiation-induced pneumonitis, pericarditis, and esophageal stricture.

Results: The overall median survival was 18.1 months.

Correspondence: David Jablons, MD




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