Progress of malignant pleural mesothelioma

Abstract

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare primary tumor originating from pleural mesothelial cells. The disease is insidious and the etiology is not yet clear, but exposure to asbestos is the main pathogenic factors. The early symptoms of MPM are not obvious, and owning to the lack of specific symptoms, it's hard to be diagnosed, so it depends on histopathological immunohistochemistry to confirm the diagnosis. Only a few patients can undergo radical surgery. The current treatment is mainly chemotherapy, and cisplatin combined with pemetrexed is the most commonly used chemotherapy. The prognosis of MPM patient is very poor, and the survival period is short. The median survival time of MPM patients after supportive therapy alone is 4-12 months. This article will summarize the status and research progress of diagnosis and treatment of MPM. Key words: Malignant pleural mesothelioma; Diagnosis; Treatment