pleurodesis

One of the most common, first symptoms of mesothelioma is shortness of breath. This is usually caused by the buildup of fluid (pleural effusion) between the tissue covering the lung and lining the chest wall (pleura). The fluid stops the lung from fully expanding , so as it builds up, the collected fluid will cause shortness of breath.

A surgical procedure, called a pleurodesis, can stop this fluid from building up and help relieve the symptoms. It seals the space between pleura with either sterile talc or an antibiotic. The idea is to put in something that will irritate the pleura causing them to stick together, preventing fluid buildup.

Pleurodesis is a palliative surgical procedure since it treats a symptom of mesothelioma, but does not treat the disease.