Current Approach to Malignant Mesothelioma of the Pleura

¹ From the Departments of Medicine, Environmental, and Community Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert-Wood Johnson Medical School, Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick

Malignant mesothelioma of the pleura occurs primarily in individuals who were exposed to asbestos either in the workplace or home. The incidence of malignant mesothelioma is rising and, reflective of the malignancy's long latency period, is expected to continue to increase into the next century. Current treatment measures, including surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, intrapleural therapy, and combined-modality therapies, have had varying impacts on survival. This paper explores current trends in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.