by Michael Enfield
When a person has cancer, doctors will typically create a treatment plan involving a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Surgery can help prevent the further spread of tumors as well as extend the patient's lifespan. This is especially important for deadly, usually incurable cancers like pleural mesothelioma. One surgery used for this cancer is pneumonectomy.
Mesothelioma is a cancer that is most often the result of asbestos exposure. It attacks the epithelial cells that make up the mesothelium, or the special lining that protects the internal organs and body cavities from chafing and friction. The mesothelium secretes a fluid that lubricates the inside of the body, allowing them to slide against each other smoothly. When mesothelioma attacks the mesothelium lining the lungs, it is called pleural mesothelioma.
Pleural mesothelioma starts in the epithelial cells surrounding the lungs, but then tumors can spread into the lung tissue itself. This can lead to debilitating symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Thus, doctors may choose to completely remove the diseased lung in a process called pneumonectomy. This is a radical procedure that is often only used if there are no other options.
During a pneumonectomy, doctors will anesthetize you then make an incision stretching from just below your shoulder and curving down to the bottom of your rib cage. Basically, they will then artificially collapse, or deflate, the lung so that they can remove it more easily. Surgeons will disconnect the airways and blood vessels leading to and from the lung, then they will take it out of your chest cavity. Usually, they insert a special drainage tube into your chest cavity before suturing the incision.
For many people, shortness of breath is a side effect of a pneumonectomy that you can experience for several months following your surgery. However, if you have pleural mesothelioma, this may be a worthwhile trade if it means several more months of life.
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you are facing a difficult road ahead. To learn more about this cancer as well as its treatment options, please visit the Mesothelioma Help Center today.
About the Author
Michael Enfield is a Texas-based author.
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