Improved surgery, new drug combos help mesothelioma survival

NORTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Mesothelioma is one of the hardest cancers to treat, but from surgical techniques to drug combinations, progress is slowly being made, giving patients more time and quality of life.

"I was splitting wood and I noticed I was short of breath," recalls Gary Maxwell, of Millersville, Pennsylvania.

At first, it seemed Gary had bronchitis. But antibiotics didn't help and he needed to have fluid drawn off his lung.

When Gary's wife insisted on a biopsy, they discovered the root cause.

"Two weeks later, it came back that I was diagnosed with mesothelioma," Gary says.

Dr. Joseph Friedberg, Thoracic-Surgeon-in-Chief at Temple Health, says mesothelioma doesn't have defined tumors like conventional lung cancer.

"It's as though someone has just poured it into the chest cavity and every single surface is covered," Dr. Friedberg explains.

Cancer cells can coat linings around the lungs and heart, the diaphragm, even the lining around abdominal organs.

Gary has no doubt that asbestos exposure during his Coast Guard service caused his cancer. During gunnery drills on his ship, asbestos shook loose everywhere.

"In the hallways and stuff, it looked like somebody took a dust mop and just shook it," he remembers.

Even mattresses and pillows had it.

"So we were sleeping on this stuff," he says.

After his diagnosis, Gary had chemotherapy, then an 11-hour surgery with Dr. Friedberg.

"I have surpassed 10 years and I am from what Dr. Friedberg has stated, I am in complete remission," he says gratefully.

Dr. Friedberg says instead of removing the lung linings, he now uses an electrical tool to methodically burn out each cancer spot.

"It's safe to use around nerves. It doesn't travel all the way through the lung, so I'm not damaging the lung tissue itself," he says.

That shortens hospital stays and recovery time. Adding immunotherapy to chemo is also helping extend survival.

But even though there's less asbestos in the workplace, past exposures in other places are becoming a bigger problem.

"A lot of these cases are related to baby powder now. The baby powder had asbestos in it," Dr. Friedberg says.

He says preventing exposures tests are underway to find ways to prevent mesothelioma from developing after asbestos exposure.

One compound giving promising results is made from broccoli.