Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines Recently Released from a European Cancer Society

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) recently released clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Because there is no cure for this aggressive cancer, the mesothelioma life expectancy for most patients currently ranges between four and 18 months following diagnosis, hence the motivation to improve and standardize treatment of this condition.

The ESMO guidelines address the incidence, diagnosis, staging and risk assessment, treatment, response evaluation, and follow-up of malignant pleural mesothelioma. The publication reports that pleural mesothelioma patients usually turn to their doctor with symptoms such as shortness of breath or chest pain. Then physicians produce a diagnosis through the help of imaging studies (CT scans are common). To help with a definitive diagnosis, an occupational history should be obtained from the patient to search for history of asbestos exposure.

Authors of the guidelines explain,