Mesothelioma and Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Pleura

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a neoplasm of the cells lining the pleural cavity. There is a strong correlation with asbestos exposure which accounts for a significant proportion of cases. Overall prognosis is poor and controversy remains regarding optimal treatment strategies. Multimodality treatment consists of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and most recently immunotherapy. Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura are favorable tumors, but do grow slowly and have malignant potential. Complete surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment.