Radical Treatment Gives Hope To Mesothelioma Patient

By Author: Heather Preston
Total Articles: 10
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Six years after being diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, 35-year-old Karen Grant is cancer-free, inspiring mesothelioma patients and their families with the hope that remission is possible. Following an aggressive, pioneering treatment program offered by Dr. David Sugarbaker, Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Grant is currently in remission and encouraging other cancer patients to have courage in the face of a bleak diagnosis. Dr. Sugarbaker's life work and research has focused on malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. This particular cancer is known for its aggressive nature and is extremely difficult to treat. There is a better prognosis for patients who are diagnosed early, but successful treatment is rare because the disease progresses so rapidly once it is discovered.

Ms. Grant's success story, however, offers hope for patients of mesothleioma and their families. Although there is still no definitive cure for mesothelioma, patients who have an early diagnosis may be eligible ...
... for a combination of therapies called mutimodality therapy. This aggressive therapy combines surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, and is the best option that currently exists for improving the prognosis for a mesothelioma patient.

Multimodality Therapy

Six years ago, Karen Grant was given just months to live. "In the context of this disease, she would be considered to be untreatable," said Dr. Sugarbaker. But he offered Grant a cutting-edge treatment program so aggressive that the surgery alone could have taken her life.

The trimodal treatment begins with a surgery called extrapleural pneumonectomy. Dr. Sugarbaker had performed this risky surgery on one lung before, but not on two. After cutting away the tumor, the tissue was targeted with lasers to burn any remaining microscopic cancer cells. The chest cavity was then treated with a hot chemotherapy solution.

"It is really an aggressive, experimental therapy. It's on the cutting edge and no one can really tell her what the outcome will be. She's a pioneer," Sugarbaker said. Following surgery, Grant endured a rigorous schedule of chemotherapy and radiation that left her on a ventilator and hospitalized for months.

A lot of other people have benefited because of what we saw in her because a lot of people would have given up, Dr. Sugarbaker explained, We offered her a very aggressive approach that a lot of patients could have said no thank you to, but not Karen.

After such a grueling struggle, Grant's courage and survival are a source of inspiration for other mesothelioma patients. I can give hope to other people and say, ‘Look, you know, it is a grim diagnosis but there is hope out there,' Grant said. She encourages patients to take one step at a time and have the inner strength to persevere. Patients should also obtain help from an experienced mesothelioma lawyer so they can be compensated for the cost such an aggressive medical treatment.

Gregg J. Borri is a New York mesothelioma lawyer who specializes in asbestos litigation. His law offices provide legal representation to victims of asbestos exposure (the principal cause of mesothelioma), namely those diagnosed with one of the three mesothelioma types - pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial mesothelioma. Each New York mesothelioma lawyer there is committed to forcefully and effectively advocating their clients' claims to legal compensation from the corporations that caused or contributed to their exposure to asbestos, allowing clients to focus on medical treatment.

Heather Preston. New york city mesothelioma lawyer - Gregg J. Borri is a New York mesothelioma lawyer* specializing in asbestos litigation. His law offices provide legal representation to victims of asbestos exposure (the principal cause of mesothelioma), namely those diagnosed with one of the three mesothelioma types - pleural, peritoneal, or pericardial mesothelioma. The attorneys here are committed to forcefully and effectively advocating their clients' claims to legal compensation from the corporations that caused or contributed to their exposure to asbestos, allowing clients to focus on their medical treatment.