Dr. Robert Cameron Meso Myth Buster
- Myth #4 -
Talc Pleurodesis Prevents Surgeons from Performing a Pleurectomy Operation
People with mesothelioma frequently develop breathing problems as one of their first symptoms or clues that something is wrong. This shortness of breath is mostly due to fluid that accumulates inside the chest and “around” but not “in” the lung (pleural effusion).
The fluid prevents the lung from expanding with much needed oxygen. If it’s large enough, it may require physicians to perform drainage procedures with a needle (thoracentesis), a tube (thoracostomy or chest tube), or a “VATS”/“thoracoscopy” procedure that also may include “insufflation” (a fancy term used to describe the “blowing”) of talc powder into the chest
Talc powder in the chest triggers intense inflammation and acts like glue to “stick” the inside surfaces of the chest together (“pleurodesis”) so that there is no more room for fluid to collect. The intensive inflammation associated with talc is thought by some to prevent lung-sparing surgeries like pleurectomy and decortication; however, nothing could be further from the truth.
Without a pleurodesis, there are two sides to the “pleura,” the lung side (“visceral” pleura) and the other side (“parietal” pleura on the back of the ribs, diaphragm, heart sack, etc). These two “leaves” generally are much thinner by themselves than when glued together, making complete removal separately much more challenging than if they are bound together by talc. Furthermore, if the fluid isn't drained and the area sealed, cancer-laden fluid almost always collects again and spills out during any subsequent surgical procedure, thereby potentially contaminating the chest once again with cancer cells.
After a pleurodesis, however, the various parts of the pleura and tumor are fused together and can be more effectively removed as one piece. In addition, when all the pleural fluid has been drained and the area sealed, fluid is no longer present to wash individual cells or groups of cells out of the surgeon's grasp and back into the chest, like escaping white water rafters on a raging river of pleural fluid.
Dr. Robert Cameron
February 15, 2011
| Myth #1: | A more radical operation obviously provides better results than a less radical surgical procedure January 3, 2011 |
| Myth #2: | A more radical operation that takes out the pericardium and diaphragm for bigger margins is a better operation. January 11, 2011 |
| Myth #3: | Mesothelioma Tumor in the Lung “Fissures” Cannot Be Removed Without Also Removing the Entire Lung January 27, 2011 |
Interested in Learning More?
If you have been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma and would like to learn more about Dr. Cameron’s approach to treating the disease, you may contact his office at (310) 470-8980.
Dr. Cameron sees patients in consultation at his Los Angeles, California clinic located at:
10780 Santa Monica Boulevard
Suite 100
Los Angeles, California 90025-7613
If you are traveling from out of town and would like assistance with travel arrangements, contact the Pacific Meso Center at (310) 478-4678 or info@pacificmesocenter.org.