Mesothelioma Follow-up

  • Author: Winston W Tan, MD; Chief Editor: Jules E Harris, MD   more...
 
Updated: Dec 6, 2011
 

Further Outpatient Care

Regular follow-up visits with an internist, pulmonary specialist, medical oncologist, and radiation oncologist are recommended.

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Complications

  • The tumor recurrence rate is 50% for those treated with surgery.
  • The mortality rate secondary to surgery has improved. Even with extensive surgery, the mortality rate as reported by Huncharek et al and by Sugerbaker et al in 1996 was 3.8%.[31, 12]
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Prognosis

  • Without treatment, mesothelioma is fatal within 4-8 months.
  • With trimodality treatment, some patients have survived 16-19 months. A few have survived as long as 5 years, with rates of 14% for all types and 46% for the epithelial type. However, numbers are small.
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Winston W Tan, MD  Assistant Professor of Medicine, Mayo Medical School; Consulting Staff, Mayo Group Practices

Winston W Tan, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology, Philippine Medical Association, and Texas Medical Association

Disclosure: Medivation Grant/research funds Other; Oncogenix Grant/research funds Other; Genentech Grant/research funds Other

Specialty Editor Board

Michael Perry, MD, MS, MACP  Nellie B Smith Chair of Oncology Emeritus, Director, Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Deputy Director, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine

Michael Perry, MD, MS, MACP is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Association for Cancer Research, American College of Physicians, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, American Medical Association, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology, International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and Missouri State Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Benjamin Movsas, MD  Vice-Chairman, Department of Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center

Benjamin Movsas, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Radiology, American Radium Society, and American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Rajalaxmi McKenna, MD, FACP  Southwest Medical Consultants, SC, Department of Medicine, Good Samaritan Hospital, Advocate Health Systems

Rajalaxmi McKenna, MD, FACP is a member of the following medical societies: American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Society of Hematology, and International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Jules E Harris, MD  Clinical Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine; Consulting Staff, Arizona Cancer Center

Jules E Harris, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Association for Cancer Research, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Association of Immunologists, American Society of Hematology, and Central Society for Clinical Research

Disclosure: GlobeImmune Salary Consulting

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