Surgery
Two forms of surgery are available for mesothelioma patients—palliative surgery and potentially curative surgery. Palliative procedures aim to treat mesothelioma symptoms without treating the cancer itself. For example, a patient’s chest may be drained of the fluid buildup, a common symptom of mesothelioma that causes breathlessness. Potentially curative procedures aim to remove the disease, with the knowledge that some of the disease may be left behind. For instance, a patient may undergo an extrapleural pneumonectomy which removes one of the lungs.

