Cancer News, Treatment and Research

A recent study conducted by Oxford researchers suggests prophylactic irradiation therapy (PIT) may not be a beneficial treatment for patients suffering with mesothelioma cancer. PIT utilizes video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to locate and isolate tissue areas in need of treatment. Unlike open surgery where one large incision is made and only one wound has to heal, VATS necessitates multiple small puncture wounds. These wounds greatly raise the potential for development of metastases, or cancer “seeds,” furthering the risk of spreading mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to toxic chemical asbestos . Asbestos fibers or dust can be inhaled into the lungs where they begin a mutative process of tumor development. These tumors grow in an irregularly patterned system through lining tissue of lungs and other abdominal cavities. It takes decades for mesothelioma to demonstrate symptoms making early detection difficult. Once a proper diagnosis is made, patients average a six-month to two-year life expectancy. There are mesothelioma treatments available, but no known cure. The Oxford research group covered over three hundred papers for their study, focusing specifically on nine mesothelioma cases. Due to the risk of furthering mesothelioma spread and creating a longer recovery time for the patient, the study concluded PIT might be doing more harm than good for mesothelioma patients. The researchers report was published in Journal of Interactive and Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery, where they said, “One trial found that 23% of radiotherapy patients developed tract metastases compared to 10% of control patients… Time from procedure to tract metastases was in fact shorter in patients treated with RT (2.4 month RT vs. 6.4 months control). Another trial found that seeding of metastatic tumor to the intervention site occurred in 7% of RT sites vs. 10% of control sites.” However, other papers have been written in disagreement with these findings, stating that PIT using VATS is an appropriate form of treatment for mesothelioma patients as long as the puncture wounds are watched carefully and considered in the follow-up care plan. One report showed a higher count of metastases occurrence in the control group rather than the group that received PIT, while varying results were found in additional studies. Overall, patient life expectancy was not extended by using PIT.