Pleural Mesothelioma

Multimodality approaches have included surgery to remove all the tumor-- extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) (removal of the lung along with its coverings and the associated coverings of the heart and diaphragm) followed by sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Although EPP is an aggressive surgery, it has the best record for removing the maximum number of tumor cells.

Some patients cannot undergo an EPP due to limited lung or heart function. These patients may be better suited to pleurectomy/decortication (removal of the lining of the lung and the tumor (part of the tumor) while preserving the lung) followed by chemotherapy when extrapleural pneumonectomy is not feasible. Some patients have advanced mesothelioma and are not surgical candidates. These patients may benefit from chemotherapy with standard or experimental drugs.

At the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, all patients are carefully evaluated and a therapeutic plan will be tailored to fit the needs and stage of each patient.