Describe the prognosis and treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.
• The survival rate for malignant pleural mesothelioma without treatment ranges from 4 to 12 months.
• The prognosis is poor even with treatment. Fifty percent of patients are dead within 1 year after diagnosis. The prognosis depends on the stage of the tumor, the histological type, and lymph node status.
• Treatment often includes combination therapy involving surgery with radiation, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy.
• Pleurectomy/decortication is the most common surgery performed and involves removing the lining of the chest. This procedure is usually reserved for early stage disease.
• Alimta (pemetrexed) is a new drug recently approved by the FDA for treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Clinical trials have demonstrated an increase in survival time when used in combination with Cisplatin.
Immountherapy with interferon alpha has lead to a reduction in tumor mass in more than 20% of patients.