A critical study has taken place exploring a treatment for mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer intimately linked to asbestos exposure. This particular type of asbestos cancer is known for being particularly lethal, even among other types of cancer.

The study explored using a type of surgery called extrapleural pneumonectomy or EPP. EPP is still considered experimental. Doubts remain about EPP. Surgeons are not certain if the procedure actually improves outcomes in terms of survival or even symptoms. However, it is known that the procedure is physically taxing for patients. In short, the medical community knows that the procedure is a serious cost to the patient’s health, and no one’s sure if there’s a benefit to it. The new study hoped to change that.

The paper was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Thorax. The lead author was Dr. Avijit Datta, MD, who is affiliated with the York Teaching Hospital in the United Kingdom. His study compared the outcomes of patients who had EPP with similar patients who did not. All patients received radiation and chemotherapy, the standard treatment.

Unfortunately, the study found that the group who received EPP did not show any discernable benefits. The procedure itself involves removing the lining of the chest cavity, one lung, and part of the patient’s diaphragm in hopes of slowing the cancer. However, the Thorax study did not indicate that patients who had EPP had any discernable benefit from the procedure. Based on this, researchers felt it was unethical to repeat the experiment on a larger scale.

Mesothelioma, as a part of the larger concern of asbestos-related illnesses, is a major public health issue. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral. It consists of microscopic, glass-like fibers. During the Industrial Revolution, it was mined on a massive scale due to its useful properties. Asbestos is fireproof and an exceptional insulator. This led to its widespread use. However, workers who were exposed to asbestos were quickly discovered to be more prone to lung diseases like asbestosis and several cancers.

Despite the strong ling between asbestos and mesothelioma, it can take decades for persons exposed to asbestos to develop the cancer. In fact, it is rare for a person to develop mesothelioma less than 15 years after exposure to the mineral. This has complicated legal action against companies that exposed their workers to asbestos; lawsuits are subject to a legal time limit called a statute of limitations. However, in most legal jurisdictions, asbestos lawsuits are considered something of a special case because the clock on the statue of limitations does not start until the person realizes their cancer could have been caused by a work exposure.

Legal action against asbestos mining and manufacturing companies may take the form of asbestos class action lawsuits. Class action lawsuits are a type of lawsuit wherein a group of people file a lawsuit against the same defendant over similar alleged harms. Group lawsuits like class action lawsuits are designed to help streamline the legal process by combing dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of individual potential lawsuits into a single class action lawsuit.