Biphasic pleural mesothelioma treated successfully with multimodal therapy: a case report

Abstract

Abstract Background Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive malignant tumor and has a poor prognosis. In particular, biphasic pleural mesothelioma is a less common histologic type, and successful outcomes are rare. Case presentation A 60-year-old man was referred to our associated hospital because of dyspnea. Massive right pleural effusion and thickening of the entire right parietal pleura were revealed by radiological examination. After pleural biopsy, we diagnosed the patient’s tumor as biphasic pleural mesothelioma. The patient was admitted to our hospital for multimodal treatment. Two cycles of chemotherapy were initially administered with dramatic effects. Therefore, we decided to perform surgery and achieved a macroscopic complete resection. Postoperative chemotherapy was administered with no adverse events. No recurrence has been observed 11 months post-operation. Conclusions We encountered a case of biphasic pleural mesothelioma that responded well to chemotherapy, enabling macroscopic complete resection.