Mesothelioma with non-pleural malignancy: a red herring or just an uncommon pairing?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a highly aggressive cancer of the pleura with a well-established male predominance and causative link with asbestos exposure. We report four cases of female patients with MPM referred for palliation of symptoms thought to b...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Shah Amit K, Saeb-Parsy Kourosh, Drain Andrew J, Rassl D, Ritchie Andrew J
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2006-11-01
Series:Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Online Access:http://www.cardiothoracicsurgery.org/content/1/1/39
Description
Summary:<p>Abstract</p> <p>Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a highly aggressive cancer of the pleura with a well-established male predominance and causative link with asbestos exposure. We report four cases of female patients with MPM referred for palliation of symptoms thought to be due to previous non-pleural malignancy.</p> <p>With emerging novel treatments for MPM, this article discusses four unusual cases of MPM occurring in the setting of other malignancy, highlights the importance of considering a primary diagnosis of MPM even in patients with other malignancy, and reinforces the benefits of video-assisted surgical biopsy which allows simultaneous diagnosis and treatment.</p>
ISSN:1749-8090