Malignant Mesothelioma of Peritoneum: About a Case with Review of the Literature

Abstract

Malignant mesothelioma of the peritoneum is rather unusual and is only 10-20% of malignant mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is pleural recognized by its location. The etiology of malignant mesothelioma is in 80% of cases prior contact with asbestos but there are cases without specific cause. The prognosis for MPM is poor with median survival of 5.4 months versus 12.5 months for pleural mesothelioma. The diagnosis of MPM is often difficult and requires surgical biopsies by laparoscopy or laparotomy or ascitic cytology. A surgical cytoreduction combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is the best therapeutic approach for MPM but unfortunately often advanced disease at diagnosis. We must therefore resort to systemic chemotherapy based on platinum or symptomatic treatments.

Serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin as a tumor marker for malignant mesothelioma

“…Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare tumor characterized by diffuse or locoregional involvement of peritoneal surfaces. In industrialized countries, the incidence is currently estimated to be between 0.5-3 cases per million for men, and 0.2-2 cases per million for women [4]. Currently, no biomarkers have been identified for use in the diagnosis and/or to follow-up of this entity.…”

“…Moreover, in their report concerning 201 cancer patients including four cases with malignant mesothelioma, Zimmerman et al, reported that serous effusions from two out of four mesothelioma patients (50%) and twenty-eight patients out of forty-four adenocarcinoma patients (64%) stained positive for hCG and mucin. They concluded that β-hCG was not clinically useful for effusion cytology because of a low specificity [7]. In another study by Ugurman et al, pleural and serum β-hCG levels and their ratio were evaluated for discriminating benign and malignant pleural effusions.…”