Diagnostic and therapeutic strategy in malignant pleural mesothelioma

We retrospectively analysed 301 patients with diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma (235 male, 66 female; median age 59 years). Prognosis depended significantly on patient age, evidence of pain, loss of weight, tumour cell type, stage, local and distant metastasis, involvement of peritoneum and surgical treatment. The overall median survival rate was 238 days, after extended pleuropneumonectomy 284 days, and after decortication 315 days - significantly better than the prognosis in patients without surgical treatment or exploratory thoracotomy. Pleuropneumonectomy should only be considered in young patients with an epithelial cell-type tumour (possibly with adjuvant chemotherapy). Decortication seems nowadays to be the treatment of choice.