Peritoneal Mesothelioma in a High Volume Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Unit

Abstract

Diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (PM) is a rare neoplasm, traditionally associated with a poor prognosis. There are other varieties of PM that are even less frequent and of uncertain malignancy. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has achieved prolonged survival in selected patients. The aim of this study is to analyze the patients with PM assessed in our center. Clinicopathological characteristics, diagnostic procedures and survival results from patients with PM appraised at our unit, according to the applied treatment, were analyzed. Seventeen patients were assessed between 2007 and 2019. Three cases had multicystic PM that were treated with complete CRS + HIPEC; all patients are alive and free of disease after a long follow-up. Three other cases had biphasic PM; a curative treatment could be performed in none of them, and their survival was minimal (<6 moths). Lastly, 11 cases with epithelioid PM were treated. Two cases were considered unresectable at laparoscopy (PCI 39); one of them had a long survival (67 months) with three iterative laparoscopic palliatives HIPECs for refractory ascites. The other nine cases were treated with curative CRS + HIPEC, with a median PCI of 14 (range 4–25), and a median overall survival (OS) of 58 months, with a 5-year OS of 47.4%. In conclusion, CRS + HIPEC, when possible, appears to be the optimal treatment for patients with PM. Knowledge of this therapeutic option is crucial, both to offer it to patients and to avoid delays in their referral to appropriate centers for treatment.