@article{article_392759, title={Diagnostic and therapeutic surgical approaches for mesothelioma}, journal={Pamukkale Medical Journal}, pages={105–109}, year={2012}, author={Türk, Figen and Yüncü, Gökhan and Öztürk, Gökhan}, keywords={Mezotelyoma, plevra, VATS}, abstract={OBJECTIVE: We present the features of mesothelioma cases that underwent surgery at our clinic in this study.METHODS: The findings, lesion localization, surgery performed and pathology results wereretrospectively evaluated for the 11 cases diagnosed with mesothelioma between 2006 and 2012 at the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine. The surgery was evaluated in two groups as diagnostic and therapeutic.RESULTS: The mean age was 62.6±10.05 (49-78) years. The most common symptom was dyspnea (in 7 cases) followed by chest pain. Exposure to asbestos was present in 7 cases and a history of smoking in 6 cases.Diagnostic surgery consisted of pleural biopsy with VATS in 7 of 8 cases in the advanced stage (Stage 3-4) while 1 case underwent excisional biopsy by thoracotomy. Therapeutic surgery consisted of partial and visceral pleurectomy in one Stage 1 case, extrapleural pneumonectomy in one Stage 4 case and tumor excision in one benign mesothelioma case. Our cases were distributed as 8 epithelioid, 1 mixed, 1 sarcomatoid and 1 benignmesothelioma case.CONCLUSION: Although most of the cases with a mesothelioma diagnosis were in the advanced stage in this small series, we were able to perform complete surgical treatment for early cases. We believe that it should be possible to catch the disease at an early stage with screening programs especially in cases with risky environmental or occupational exposure, and these patients may have the chance to undergo curative surgery.}, number={3}, publisher={Pamukkale Üniversitesi}