Published in:
Open Access 01-12-2011 | Case report
Peritoneal mesothelioma in a woman who has survived for seven years: a case report
Published in: Journal of Medical Case Reports | Issue 1/2011
Login to get accessAbstract
Introduction
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare cancer with poor patient survival. Female gender has been identified as a positive prognostic factor. Recently, it has been suggested that the expression of estrogen receptor β in malignant mesothelioma leads to tumor suppression and a better prognosis.
Case presentation
We report the case of a 48-year-old Caucasian woman who is alive and disease-free seven years after the initial diagnosis and treatment of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.
Conclusion
This patient's long survival may be attributable to a combination of factors, including minimal disease, complete cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy plus the estrogen receptor β positivity of the tumor.