Malignant pleural mesothelioma: Two cases in first degree relatives
Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007.
Lung Cancer. 2007 Mar 30; [Epub ahead of print] [Link]
Anna Wilkinsa, Sanjay Popata, Sarah Hughesa and
Mary O’Briena
aDepartment of Medical Oncology, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, SURREY SM2 5PT, United Kingdom
Received 18 July 2006; revised 1 February 2007; accepted 8 February 2007. Available online 2 April 2007.
Abstract
We report two cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma in first degree relatives arising within weeks of each other. The patients had a shared exposure to asbestos and age difference of over 20 years at time of presentation. In both cases, the anatomical pattern was similar and unusual for mesothelioma and initial histology was reported for both as non-small cell lung cancer. Both patients were treated with platinum-based combination chemotherapy.
Keywords: Malignant mesothelioma; Non-small cell lung cancer; Platinum-based combination chemotherapy
Abbreviations: CT, computed tomography; RECIST, response evaluation criteria in solid tumors; NF2, neurofibromatosis 2
Glossary
- oncology
- (on-call-o-jee) the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
- chemotherapy
- (key-mo-THER-uh-pee) treatment with drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often used with surgery or radiation to treat cancer when the cancer has spread, when it has come back (recurred), or when there is a strong chance that it could recur.
- cell
- the basic unit of which all living things are made. Cells replace themselves by splitting and forming new cells (mitosis). The processes that control the formation of new cells and the death of old cells are disrupted in cancer.
- cancer
- malignancy; a group of diseases typified by abnormal, generally out-of-control, cell growth.
- mesothelioma
- a tumor derived from mesothelial tissue, such as the peritoneum (lining the abdomen) or pleura (lining the lungs). More on mesothelioma.
