Surgery in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Abstract

Surgical intervention plays an important role in the diagnosis, staging, and treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and can be applied with curative or palliative intent. The overall aim of surgery should be, as in any oncologic surgery, the macroscopic complete resection (MCR) of the tumor. Most importantly, the majority of patients with the diagnosis of MPM should be appropriately staged and initially evaluated in a multidisciplinary setting, including medical oncology, radiation oncology, and surgery after histologic diagnosis. Surgical staging, including determination of the histologic subtype and lymph node status, as well as clinical staging with positron-emission tomography-computer tomography scan and determination of cardiopulmonary reserve are crucial. Herein, we summarize the role of surgical resection, specifically macroscopic complete resection, performed as extrapleural pneumonectomy or extended pleurectomy/decortication in multimodality treatment settings and advocate for optimal patient selection for one or the other procedure. In addition, the roles of surgery in diagnosis of MPM and in palliative care are discussed.