[Malignant pleural mesothelioma: multidisciplinary experience in a public tertiary hospital].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the experience in diagnosing and treating malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) accumulated over 5 years in a tertiary public hospital.


METHODS
The medical charts of the patients diagnosed with MPM between January of 2000 and February of 2005 were evaluated retrospectively.


RESULTS
Of the 17 patients analyzed, 14 were male and 3 were female. The mean age was 54.1 years (range, 13-75 years). The biopsy specimens for histopathological examination were obtained through thoracoscopy in 9 patients (53%), Cope needle in 5 (29.5%), and open pleural biopsy in 3 (17.5%). The following histological types were identified: epithelial, in 14 patients (82%); sarcomatoid, in 1 (6%); and biphasic, in 2 (12%). The therapeutic approaches used were as follows: multimodal (pleuropneumonectomy and adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy) in 6 patients (35%); chemotherapy and radiotherapy in 6 (35%); radiotherapy alone in 3 (17.5%); and chemotherapy alone in 2 (12%). The mean survival was 11 months (range, 1-26 months).


CONCLUSIONS
In the cases studied, an integrated multidisciplinary approach was used, and a highly complex hospital infrastructure was available for the diagnosis and treatment of MPM, as recommended in the literature. However, the mean survival was only 11 months, reflecting the aggressiveness of the disease.
Terra
Ricardo Mingarini
RM
Serviço de Cirurgia Torácica, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. rmterra@uol.com.br
Teixeira
Lisete Ribeiro
LR
Beyruti
Ricardo
R
Takagaki
Teresa Yae
TY
Vargas
Francisco Suso
FS
Jatene
Fabio Biscegli
FB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D005260:Female; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis