The Challenges of Treating Mesothelioma
Harvey I. Pass, MD, discusses some of the challenges of treating patients with mesothelioma
Harvey I. Pass, MD, Stephen E. Banner professor of Thoracic Oncology, vice-chair research, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, division chief, General Thoracic Surgery, NYU Langone Medical Center, discusses some of the challenges of treating patients with mesothelioma.
Pass says mesothelioma notoriously affects the elderly and symptoms can be slow to develop and not recognizable, which causes a delay in treatment management. Because of the nature of the disease, Pass says, only about 20% of patients with mesothelioma are good surgical candidates for multimodality treatment.
Pass says it is important to find the disease earlier, when effective therapies may have a chance.
Clinical Pearls
- Mesothelioma typically affects elderly patients and symptoms can be slow in development or not recognizable
- Only about 20% of patients with mesothelioma are good surgical candidates for multimodality treatment
- It is important to find the disease early, when effective therapies may have a chance
