Pleural Mesothelioma

Medical experts have been unable to definitively assess the prognosis of pleural mesothelioma partly because there are relatively few cases and it is so difficult to diagnose that patients don't get treatment for a long time after the disease strikes. Studies of pleural mesothelioma patients show that important prognostic factors include stage of cancer, age, and histology. Surgery improves the lifespan of the patient, even though it does not cure the disease. For patients treated with surgery, factors associated with improved long-term survival include epithelial histology, negative lymph nodes, and negative surgical margins. Nodal status is an important prognostic factor. Studies have shown the median survival of patients with malignant pleural disease is 16 months.
Pleural effusions and peritoneal effusions are experienced by two-thirds of patients. Hemothorax - the collection of blood in the pleural cavity - also is a symptom. To get a diagnosis, doctors use imaging technologies as well as histological analysis and molecular biologic analyses. A pleural smear examines a sample of pleural fluid under the microscope to detect for abnormal organisms. The test is performed when infection of the pleural space is suspected or when an abnormal collection of pleural fluid is noticed by chest X-ray. Sometimes the tumor grows through the diaphragm, making the site of origin difficult to assess.