Pleurectomy/decortication versus extrapleural pneumonectomy: a critical choice

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a relatively rare and aggressive tumor which arises from the mesothelial pleural cells, and is commonly associated with asbestos exposure (1). Currently, there are approximately 3,000 cases per year in the United States, and in Europe its incidence is about 20 cases per million, with large variation between the different countries (2,3). MPM’s peak of incidence in most developed counties is expected between 2010 and 2020 (4,5).