Abdominal Ascites

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a deadly, fast-moving type of lung cancer. As more and more cases of this pleural mesothelioma are occurring, doctors are constantly searching for more effective ways of dealing with it. A new protocol called cold plasma coagulation (CPC) was recently pilot tested with a small sample of patients. The technique consists of removing a part of the pleura (pleurectomy/decoritcation) and then flooding the pleura (lining of the lung), the diaphragm, and the pericardium with heated chemotherapy agents.

The hope in treating these three areas is to minimize unwanted side effects on the heart and prevent malignant cancer cells from spreading into the abdomen (pericardium) or other areas of the body. After one year of followup, results were encouraging enough so that researchers recommend additional larger studies.

Chemotherapy (often carboplatin) side effects and the risks of procedures such as pleurodesis surgery (to prevent fluid buildup in the pleural space) and ascites treatment (for fluid in the abdomen)are real. Yet many patients are willing to undergo testing that offers hope of improving treatment options. Too many cases are not diagnosed until later stages of the disease when treatment tends to be less successful. Patients can be encouraged to know that doctors are dedicating so much energy to finding ways to diagnose the disease earlier and extend patients' lives.