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  • Home > Blog > For Your Family > Center Dedicated Solely to Research of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Opens in Santa Monica, CA
Posted on Wednesday, Jan 4, 2012

Center Dedicated Solely to Research of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Opens in Santa Monica, CA

Pacific Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (PHLBI), a non-profit institution focused on the treatment and prevention of malignant pleural mesothelioma, announces the opening of a “new state-of-the-art mesothelioma research laboratory dedicated solely to the discovery of new treatments for malignant pleural mesothelioma.”   PHLBI touts the center as a first-of-its-kind research lab established to lead a focused and collaborative mesothelioma research effort. 

PHLBI partners with Dr. Robert Cameron, Director, Thoracic Oncology, Department of Surgery, UCLA Medical Center, who will lead the team of researchers and physicians at the center.  Others involved in the research program include Warren Grundfest, M.D., Sherven Sharma, PhD, Saroj Basak, PhD, Dongmei Hou, PhD and Marko Kostic, MSc, according to PHLBI.

Pleural mesothelioma, a rare cancer which is diagnosed in close to 3,000 Americans each year, is a serious lung disease primarily caused by exposure to asbestos fibers.  Mesothelioma can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.  Although the cancer has a complex growth pattern making complete surgical removal of the diseased tissue a very difficult task, several options exist for eligible patients.

Cameron is a strong advocate for sparing patients’ lungs and is the innovator of the lung-saving Pleurectomy/Decortication, a surgical option that removes all visible tumors while sparing the underlying lung.  Another popular surgical option for pleural mesothelioma patients is the extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), a more radical procedure that involves removal of a lung, the diseased lining of the chest cavity and heart, and a portion of the diaphragm. 

Dr. Cameron said of the new laboratory, “Although I have operated on hundreds of patients suffering from malignant pleural mesothelioma and have reviewed all the recent and past mesothelioma research, I have never seen such enthusiasm and genuine hope that this laboratory embodies and holds for all mesothelioma victims.”

Dr. Cameron envisions an environment of open collaboration in basic and translational science “to facilitate the rapid development of the most promising therapies from the lab to the bedside for mesothelioma victims everywhere.”