Mesothelioma Surgery

If a mesothelioma patient is in otherwise stable health, his doctor may suggest that a patient undergo surgery in order to remove malignant growths.

Like all treatments for mesothelioma, surgery is typically performed as a palliative measure to relieve pain and discomfort that a tumor may cause. Because mesothelioma tends to spread into the chest wall, over nerves and the diaphragm, it is often difficult for doctors to remove all cancerous tissue during surgery. Therefore, surgery is only rarely performed in an attempt to cure the patient of mesothelioma, but it may prolong the patient's life by forcing the cancer into remission.

When a pleural mesotheliomal tumor cannot be entirely removed through basic surgery, a pleurectomy / decortication may be conducted. This procedure entails removal of the thin membrane around the lungs and inner walls of the chest (pleura) but preserves the lungs. This surgery is helpful in soothing a mesothelioma pateint's chest pain, may improve his or her breathing, and can control fluid buildup in the chest cavity. Additionally, a doctor may prescribe post-operative chemotherapy in order to abate cancerous cells that could not be removed during the surgery.

If doctors believe a patient's pleural mesothelioma has remained localized and at an early stage, they may recommend that an extrapleural pneumonectomy be performed in rare attempt to cure the patient. An extrapleural pneumonectomy is an extreme and difficult procedure, performed by only a few specialized surgeons. Because the surgery necessitates the removal of not only the pleural lining of the chest wall, but also portions of the diaphragm and pericardium (the membrane around the heart), as well as the entire lung near the tumor, it can only be carried out on patients who are in overall good health and who have no other serious and compromising illnesses.

Similar surgical procedures may be performed for peritoneal mesothelioma and pericardial mesothelioma.