Mesothelioma or ovarian carcinoma? A case report

Abstract

Ovarian carcinomas and malignant mesotheliomas are related neoplasms. Embryologically both are derived from coelomic epithelial cells and both can be related to asbestos exposure. Furthermore, histological differentiation between these two tumours can be confusing. However, distinguishing between these tumours is important because their treatment and prognosis are not the same. Ovarian carcinomas respond to chemotherapy with rates from 40% to 75%; malignant mesotheliomas are not sensitive to chemotherapy and response rates are poor.