Malignant pleural mesothelioma: outcome of limited surgical management

Interactive Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. 2:30-34(2003) [Link]

Phillips PG, Asimakopoulos G, Maiwand MO.

Department of Thoracic Medicine, Harefield Hospital, Hill End Road, Harefield, Middlesex UB9 6JH, UK.

Abstract

This study presents data on limited surgical management of malignant pleural mesothelioma. We reviewed retrospectively 70 cases of the disease managed surgically over a 10 year period. Fifteen patients received only diagnostic direct pleural biopsy, 40 had video-assisted thoracoscopic, pleural biopsy and talc pleurodesis while 15 patients underwent thoracotomy and pleurectomy for disease confined to the pleura. There were two in-hospital deaths. Actuarial survival was significantly longer in the thoracotomy group (median 14 months vs. 6 months in the other two groups, P<0.03). Survival after limited surgical management of malignant mesothelioma is comparable to a previously reported more radical surgical approach.

Keywords: Pleural malignancy; Mesothelioma; Surgery