title: Surgical treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma: a review.
abstract: Despite many years of clinical research, there is still no effective therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Untreated, the prognosis is poor, with a median survival of < 1 year. Single-agent or combination chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy have not shown persistent improvements in response or survival. In general, MPM is a disease confined to the pleural cavity for a long time before metastasizing. Therefore, focus on local treatment seems rational. Surgical resection has been considered the mainstay of treatment by some. However, surgery alone results in high recurrence rates, and the survival benefit remains questionable. In recent years, the emphasis has been on surgery combined with adjuvant therapies. In this article, the present state of surgical management of MPM will be reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute/Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. s.v.ruth@nki.nl
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Ruth
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baas
authors.forename: Frans A N
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Zoetmulder
mesh_terms: D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome