March 31, 2014 – An innovative cancer treatment developed by Canadian researchers has given new hope to mesothelioma patients worldwide. Known as SMART, Surgery for Mesothelioma After Radiation Therapy, the technique reverses the conventional course of treatment for mesothelioma. For the first time, patients are receiving their radiation treatment prior to lung surgery. The survival rates have more than doubled for patients undergoing SMART, from 32% to 72% after three years.
The SMART treatment focuses on one of the most significant problems with treating mesothelioma, the containment of the microscopic asbestos fibers during the necessary lung surgery. Previously, there was a possibility that the dangerous fibers and affected cells could escape during the surgery, resulting in a spread of the disease to healthy cells. By undergoing radiation to prior to lung surgery, any remaining cancer cells will have been destroyed, preventing the disease from spreading.
Canadian physicians Dr. John Cho and Dr. Marc de Perrot developed the SMART treatment, which will soon be used by doctors at Minnesota’s Mayo Clinic as well. As their revolutionary mesothelioma research continues, they hope to see an even bigger increase in the mesothelioma survival rates. As Canada is one of the countries still importing products made with asbestos, including brake pads and cement pipes, researchers believe that mesothelioma and other lung cancers remain an important health concern there.
For more information on the latest treatments for mesothelioma and other asbestos-related illnesses, or to discuss your rights after exposure to asbestos, contact the experienced Pennsylvania and New Jersey mesothelioma attorneys at Shein Law. Our attorneys have been working for over thirty years with individuals suffering injuries resulting from asbestos exposure. Our offices are located conveniently in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Pennsauken, New Jersey. To schedule a free consultation at a location most convenient to you and your family members, call our law offices at 1-877-SHEINLAW (743-4652) or contact us online.