Malignant pleural mesothelioma(MPM) is a kind of rare and aggressive
malignant neoplasm.
Surgery plays one of the most important
roles in the
treatment of MPM. However, due to the high
morbidity and
mortality reported, the
survival benefit and indication of
surgery are still controversial. This article
will review the surgical indications, discuss and compare the
roles of extrapleural
pneumonectomy(EPP) and pleurectomy / decortication(P/D) which aim to achieve macroscopic complete resection(MCR) in the
treatment of MPM. Finally, we summarized the progress of other
treatment methods including targeted
therapy and
immunotherapy.