Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) syndrome is an uncommon, slowly progressive condition that usually arises from perforation of an adenoma in the appendix. PMP syndrome is characterized by mucin accumulation in the peritoneal cavity. Mucinous implants are found on all peritoneal surfaces and the omentum. PMP syndrome rarely metastasizes outside the abdominal cavity but remains a fatal illness as the space in the abdomen and pelvis required for normal function of the gastrointestinal tract becomes filled with copious amounts of the mucinous tumor. Treatment options include observation, aggressive debulking surgery, intraperitoneal chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and mucolytic agents.
Patients with diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma (DMPM) experience multiple symptoms from their disease and treatment, which can affect all aspects of their lives. Dyspnea, cough, pain, fatigue, depression, weight loss, anorexia, and cachexia are the most common symptoms. Early, ongoing assessment and management of these symptoms are imperative to maximize quality of life for patients with DMPM.
Diffuse malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon, aggressive malignancy that occurs most often in the pleura of the lung. This article reviews the risk factors, incidence, signs, symptoms, diagnosis, staging, treatment options, and follow-up care of diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma (DMPM). Curative approaches for treating DMPM are limited, and survival rates rarely exceed two years. Treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have shown limited benefit in improving survival. Extrapleural pneumonectomy combined with multimodal treatments provides a potentially curative approach, and newer efforts in multimodality therapy are promising. Clinical trials utilizing intrapleural chemo-photodynamic, gene, and immunotherapies currently are under way.
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