["Therapeutic" pleural surgery]

Renewed interest in carcinological pleura surgery for the treatment of mesothelioma has resulted from an increased incidence of the tumor and also better control of postoperative mortality for an operation with a dramatic reputation. Techniques include pleurectomy, pleurodecrotication and wide pleuropneumectomy. To achive isolated resection of the parietal pleura or a combined resection of the parietal and visceral pleura with more or less wide resection of the diaphragm and pericardium. Indications depend on the tumor extension and the patient's status. Mortality, particularly for wide pleuropneumectomy is no well controlled by well-trained teams and is to the order of 5%. The rate of local recurrence is to the order of 10% and can warrant use of local treatments such as intrathoracic hyperthermic chemotherapy. Median survival for operated mesothelioma is 19 months with a 46% five-year survival for the tumors with the best prognosis. At the present time, radical surgical resection is the basis of local treatment for pleural mesothelioma.