MALIGNANT PERITONEAL MESOTHELIOMA - REVIEW OF 25 PATIENTS

  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 75  (4) , 311-313
Abstract
Patients (25) with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma were seen in Memorial Hospital, New York City, USA, since 1950. None had a history of exposure to asbestos and no clear etiologic factor could be determined in any of the patients. Two patients had signs of ectopic hormone production. The tumor tended to be locally invasive but distant hematogenous metastases were not seen in any of the patients. Surgery was not effective, as most patients had extensive intraabdominal disease at the time of laparotomy. There were 4 long-term survivors. All of them were treated with external radiotherapy and 32P instillation after surgery. The response to chemotherapy was poor except for 1 partial response to combined therapy with adriamycin and radiation. Most patients died of extensive abdominal disease with a median survival of only 12 mo.