No matter what type of mesothelioma a person has been diagnosed with, the most common form of therapy that is offered is a multi-modality approach that combines radiation therapy, surgery, and chemotherapy. But physicians have found that different regions of the body are more amenable to different approaches, and that certain therapies have only limited use because of vulnerabilities of other nearby organs. It is for this reason that radiation therapy is used with moderation in the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma and that chemotherapy is limited in pleural mesothelioma. But now a group of German scientists believes that they have found a strategy that allows patients with pleural mesothelioma to get greater benefits from chemotherapy. By shutting down the pathways to surrounding structures, they have been able to target chemotherapy to limited areas in the chest and provide patients with extended survival times.

German surgical oncologists believe that they have found a way to improve survival times in patients with pleural mesothelioma while limiting the deleterious impact of aggressive surgery and systemic chemotherapy. As described in the journalOncoTargets and Therapy by chief investigator Karl Reinhard Aiger, The aorta and inferior vena cava were blocked at the level of the diaphragm and the upper arms were blocked by pneumatic cuffs. In effectively limiting the area in which the toxic chemicals could flow, they then administered cisplatin and mitoxantrone for a period of 15 minutes, allowing it to circulate freely in the area where the mesothelioma tumor was located but preventing it from coming into contact with healthy tissue or circulating to the rest of the body. After the 15 minute period was complete, the chemotherapy solution was removed using a special filtration system and the blocking structures were removed from the other areas shortly thereafter. The approach is called isolated thoracic perfusion with chemofiltration, or ITP-F.

The results of this approach were highly encouraging. According to the report, ITP-F for patients with advanced pleural mesothelioma progressive after standard therapies is an effective and well tolerated treatment modality offering comparably long survival data at a good quality of life.

If you or someone you love has mesothelioma and need information on innovative treatment protocols, the compassionate Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net are here to help. Contact us today at1-800-692-8608to learn more.

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German Surgeons Offer Innovative Chemotherapy Approach to Pleural Mesothelioma - Mesothelioma.net Blog (blog)