Epithelioid mesothelioma, caused by asbestos exposure, replicates and tries to spread cancerous cells, but their square shape causes the cells to stick to each other. This may slow their spread and can make treatment more effective. Accounting for about 70% of all diagnosed mesothelioma cases, epithelioid mesothelioma tends to offer better life expectancies because more treatment options are available.
More Treatment Options
Epithelioid mesothelioma responds better than sarcomatoid or biphasic mesothelioma to treatment as it is less aggressive and metastasizes slower than other cell types.
Better Prognosis
Patients with epithelioid mesothelioma are good candidates for surgeries and emerging treatments offered through clinical trials.
Characteristics of Epithelioid Mesothelioma
They are square-shaped cells and have visible nuclei (plural of “nucleus,” the center of the cell, which carries genetic material). Specialists have an easier time telling them apart from other mesothelioma cell types because of their unique appearance.
Tumors made of epithelioid cells grow quickly. These cells replicate faster than sarcomatoid or biphasic mesothelioma tumors. However, the square shape of epithelioid cells causes them to stick together, slowing down their spread to other parts of the body.
Epithelioid mesothelioma responds the best to treatment because it metastasizes (spreads) slower than other cell types.
Epithelioid Mesothelioma Treatment Options
Epithelioid mesothelioma responds better than sarcomatoid or biphasic mesothelioma to treatment. It is less aggressive and metastasizes slower than other cell types. This means surgery is more effective for epithelioid patients because their cancer cells don’t spread as quickly. Depending on the stage of a patient’s cancer, there are aggressive courses of treatment that may improve a patient’s prognosis. Patients diagnosed with epithelioid mesothelioma may be eligible for one of the following treatment options:
Extrapleural
Pneumonectomy (EPP):
An extrapleural pneumonectomy is the most aggressive surgery available for a patient diagnosed with epithelioid type pleural mesothelioma. This procedure involves the removal of the entire diseased lung and pleura (protective lining of the lung). If the cancer has spread far enough, the pericardium (lining of the heart), diaphragm, and nearby lymph nodes may also be removed.
Pleurectomy with
Decortication (P/D):
A P/D involves the removal of the pleura (pleurectomy) and the surface layer of the lung affected by cancer (decortication). If the cancer has spread, the diaphragm and pericardium may be removed as well. About 90 percent of pleural mesothelioma patients who have this surgery experience a reduction of symptoms. The median survival rate for patients after a P/D is 20 months—a year longer than the median survival rate for mesothelioma patients as a whole.
