• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.3
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• pp.297-301
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• 2015

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare malignant neoplasm that arises from mesothelial surfaces of the pleural cavity, peritoneal cavity, tunica vaginalis, or pericardium. Typically, pleural fluid cytology or closed pleural biopsy, surgical intervention (video thoracoscopic biopsy or open thoracotomy) is conducted to obtain pleural tissue specimens. However, endobronchial lesions are rarely seen and cases diagnosed from bronchoscopic biopsy are also rarely reported. We reported the case of a 77-year-old male who was diagnosed as malignant mesothelioma on bronchoscopic biopsy from obstructing masses of the endobronchial lesion.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.2061-2067
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• 2014

Background: It has been demonstrated that neutrophil:lymphocyte (NLR) and platelet:lymphocyte (PLR) ratios are associated with prognosis in cancer patients. The aim of this study was to investigate whether pretreatment white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, platelet, basophil and eosinophil counts, LDH level, NLR and PLR are associated with prognosis in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed files of 50 patients who were managed with a diagnosis of MPM between 2005 and 2010. Demographic and clinical characteristics, treatments, response to treatment and prognostic factors were evaluated, along with relationships between pretreatment blood parameters and prognosis. Results: Overall, 38 men and 12 women were included to the study. Mean age was $61.5{\pm}9.4$ years (range: 39-83 years). There was advanced disease in 86% (n=43) and the histological type was epithelial mesothelioma in the majority (82%). Of the cases, 17 (34%) received radiotherapy, while 42 cases underwent first- and second-line chemotherapy, with cisplatin plus pemetrexed as the most commonly used regimen. In the assessment after therapy, it was found that there was complete response in 4 cases (8%), partial response in 10 cases (20%), stable disease in 17 cases (34%) and progression in 19 cases (38%). Median follow-up was 10 months (range: 10 day-30 months). Median overall survival was found to be 20.7 months while median progression-free survival as 10 months. In univariate and multivariate analyses, it was found that factors significantly affecting overall survival included stage (p=0.030), response to treatment (p=0.026) and monocyte count (p=0.004), while factors affecting disease-free survival included NLR (p=0.018), response to treatment (p=0.001), and PLR score (p=0.003). Conclusions: Overall and disease-free survival was found to be better in cases with a WBC count<8.000, platelet count<300,000, and low NLR and PLR scores in malignant pleural mesothelioma.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.78 no.1
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• pp.36-40
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• 2015

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive, treatment-resistant, and generally fatal disease. A 68-year-old male who was diagnosed with MPM at another hospital came to our hospital with dyspnea. We advised him to take combination chemotherapy but he refused to take the treatment. That was because he had already received chemotherapy with supportive care at another hospital but his condition worsened. Thus, we recommended photodynamic therapy (PDT) to deal with the dyspnea and MPM. After PDT, the dyspnea improved and the patient then decided to take the combination chemotherapy. Our patient received chemotherapy using pemetrexed/cisplatin. Afterwards, he received a single PDT treatment and then later took chemotherapy using gemcitabine/cisplatin. The patient showed a survival time of 27 months, which is longer than median survival time in advanced MPM patients. Further research and clinical trials are needed to demonstrate any synergistic effect between the combination chemotherapy and PDT.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.213-218
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• 2017

In order to search for anticancer agent as therapy of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) from Korean traditional prescriptions, we selected 58 traditional prescriptions based on a review of the Korean traditional medicine books. Among the selected traditional prescriptions, only water extracts of paedoksan (敗毒散) showed relatively good cytotoxicity at the concentration of $50{\mu}g/ml$. Additionally, we evaluated cytotoxicity for various paedoksans and each herbal ingredient in paedoksans. The root of Anthriscus sylvestris exhibited more cytotoxic effect than any other ingredients in paedoksans. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the MC layer of Anthriscus sylvestris led to the isolation of deoxypodophyllotoxin (DPT). DPT exhibited dose-dependently significant cytotoxicity against OSCC and MPM cell with nM range. Therefore, DPT from A. sylvestris might be a potential candidate as an effective anticancer therapeutic agent for OSCC and MPM.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.49-54
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• 1969

Four cases of pleural mesothelioma were treated surgically. The tumors from all cases were microscopicaly malignant, although only in one case the tumor was found to be diffuse in growth. The diagnosis made before operation were exudative pleurisy, empyema or lung cancer with no tumor cells found in examination of pleural fluid, sputum or the specimen of pleuraI biopsy. In two cases only the tumors were resected, and in other two cases pneumonectomy and pleuropneumonectomy were performed. Irradiations added in two cases postoperatively were found not to be beneficial. Postoperative recurrence of tumor growth were found in three cases within two months after surgery, and in one case no evidence of recurrence was noted four and a half months after resection of the tumor.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.323-330
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• 2007

Malignant pleural mesothelioma(MPM) is an uncommon neoplasm which is originated from pleural mesothelial cells. The majority of MPM is associated with prior asbestos exposure. Patients often present with chest pain and dyspnea due to pleural effusion, which might be diagnosed with tuberculous pleurisy especially in Korea. MPM is well known for its poor prognosis with a median survival time of less than 12 months after diagnosis and no established standard treatment modality. We report 3 cases of MPM confirmed by video-assisted thoracoscopic biopsy first misdiagnosed as tuberculous pleurisy.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.302-307
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• 2022

Background: In Brazil, asbestos was intensively used from the 1960s until its ban in 2017. Mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural plaques are typical asbestos-related diseases (ARD-T). To create an ARD-T national database, death records from 1996-2017 were retrieved from several health information systems (HIS). Methods: All national HIS containing coded diagnoses (ICD-10) and death information were obtained. Linkage was performed to create a single database of ARD-T death records, either as underlying or contributory causes, in adults aged 30 years and older. Results: A total of 3,057 ARD-T death records were found, 2,405 (76.4%) of which being malignant mesotheliomas (MM). Pleural MM (n = 1,006; 41.8%) and unspecified MM (n = 792; 32.9%) prevailed. Male to female MM ratio (M:F) was 1.4:1, and higher ratios were found for non-malignant ARD-T: 3.5:1 for asbestosis and 2.4:1 for pleural plaques. Male crude annual mesothelioma mortality (CM_mm ×1,000,000) was 0.98 in 1996 and 2.26 in 2017, a 131.1% increment, while for females it was 1.04 and 1.25, a 20.2% increase, correspondingly. The small number of deaths with asbestosis and pleural plaques records precluded conclusive interpretations. Conclusions: Even with the linkage of several HIS, ARD-T in death records remained in low numbers. MM mortality in men was higher and showed a rapid increase and, along with non-malignant ARD-T, higher M:F ratios suggested a predominant pattern of work-related exposure. The monitoring of workplace and environmental asbestos exposure needs to be improved, as well as the workers surveillance, following the recent Brazilian ban.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.786-791
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• 1984

Mesothelioma is relatively uncommon tumor compared to other thoracic tumors. It is interesting that there is a strong relationship between occurrence of malignant mesothelioma and exposure to asbestos, which was established during the last two decades. Malignant mesothelioma is discouraging in viewing its treatments and survival rates. Surgery with ancillary treatment, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, were still palliative, although encouraging results were reported. Between 1958 to 1983 at NMC, we have been experienced 6 cases of mesothelioma, confirmed by pathohistologic findings. The patients were distributed between 19 to 52 y-o age & were 5 males and 1 female. There was evidence of exposure to asbestos in 1 case. The method of operation were decortication [1], decortication with removal of tumor [1], pleuropneumonectomy with chemotherapy [1], chemotherapy [1], exploratory thoracotomy [1], and no treatment in 1 case due to private affairs. Histologic findings were 2 cases of benign mesothelioma type.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.4117-4123
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• 2014

Background: To determine prognostic value of excision repair cross-complementation 1 (ERCC1) in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Materials and Methods: The study included 60 patients with MPM who were diagnosed and treated in the Radiation Oncology Department of Kayseri Teaching Hospital and Medical Oncology Department of Erciyes University, Medicine School between 2005 and 2013. By using immunohistochemical methods, ERCC1 expression in biopsy specimens was evaluated. We retrospectively assessed whether there is a correlation between ERCC1 and response to anti-neoplastic therapy or survival. Results: There were 50 men and 10 women with median age of 62 years (range: 39-83). Histological type was epithelial mesothelioma in the majority of the cases (85%), most commonly presenting in stage four. Of the cases, 20 (33%) received radiotherapy, 60 (%100) received first-line chemotherapy and 15 (%25) received second-line chemotherapy. In the assessment after therapy, it was found that there was partial response in 12 cases (20%), stable disease in 19 cases (31.4%) and progression in 25 cases (41.7%). ERCC1 was positive in 43% of the cases. Mean OS was 11.7 months and mean DFS was 9.5 months in ERCC1-positive cases regardless of therapy, while they were 19.2 months and 17.1 months in ERCC1-negative cases, respectively. The difference was found to be significant (p<0.05). In univariate analysis, stage, comorbidity, response to treatment and ERCC1 expression were found to be significantly associated with OS (p=0.083; p=0.043; p=0.041; p=0.050). In multivariate analysis, response to treatment remained to be significant for OS (p=0.005). In univariate and multivariate analyses, response to treatment and ERCC1 were found to be significantly associated with DFS (p=0.049; p=0.041). Conclusions: ERCC1 was identified as poor prognostic factor in patients with MPM.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.357-360
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• 2009

Malignant mesothelioma of the peritoneum is a rare neoplasm with a rapidly fatal course. The tumour arises from the mesothelial cells lining the pleura and peritoneum or, rarely, in the pericardium or tunica vaginalis. This neoplasm is characterized by being difficult to diagnose, having a rapid evolution and a poor response to therapy. Mesothelioma is very glucose avid, and malignant pleural mesothelioma has been reported concerning the utility of F-18 FDG PET or PET/CT. But little has been known about the imaging finding of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma on F-18 FDG PET/CT. We report a case of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma mimicking peritoneal carcinomatosis of F-18 FDG PET/CT.