Treatment Options for Mesothelioma Patients

A well-established thoracic surgeon, Jonathan Daniel, MD, serves the needs of Portland, Oregon, patients at the Rose City Vein Center. With experience treating a wide range of venous diseases, he provides thoracic surgical care. One of the conditions that Jonathan Daniel, MD, treats is mesothelioma, an uncommon tumor that necessitates a particular surgical approach. 

With approximately 3,000 cases diagnosed yearly, mesothelioma arises gradually from prolonged asbestos exposure. Symptoms of the lung disease typically appear within 15 to 50 years of exposure, and conventional treatments include chemotherapy and radiation therapy as well as surgery. Emerging areas of focus are in cryotherapy, immunotherapy, and gene therapy. 

The most common surgical approaches to mesothelioma include pleurectomy, which involves removing the lining of the lungs and sometimes the underlying lung tissue. If the disease only affects one lung, a pneumonectomy, or complete removal of the affected lung, may be in order. Another treatment, called pleurocentesis, can be used to remove fluid surrounding the lungs that makes breathing difficult for patients.

Stasis Ulcers

Jonathan Daniel, MD, resides in Portland, Oregon, where he is a thoracic surgeon. Currently affiliated with Starr-Wood Cardiothoracic Surgery Group, Jonathan Daniel, MD, performs a variety of thoracic surgeries and applies his experience to numerous conditions, including venus reflux, restless leg syndrome, and stasis ulcers.

When valves within the veins that normally help regulate blood flow to the heart do not function properly, blood can pool in the vein and overflow into surrounding tissue, causing a stasis ulcer. These ulcers often appear on the leg or ankle and can cause significant discomfort, pain, swelling, and achiness in the area of the wound.

The risk of developing a stasis ulcer is increased when a patient suffers from deep vein thrombosis, is obese, a smoker, or inactive.

To treat a stasis ulcer, a physician may recommend specific exercises to increase blood circulation in the area, advise that the patient wear compression stockings, or encourage patients to walk for exercise.