Malignant Epithelioid Mesothelioma

What Is Epithelial Mesothelioma?

Epithelial mesothelioma is the most common of the three types of mesothelioma cancer. More than 50% and up to 70% of cases are epithelial. Epithelial and epithelioid are used interchangeably to refer to this asbestos-related cancer.

What Are the Characteristics of Epithelioid Cells?

Epithelial mesothelioma cells clump together in groups. Each cell is square or cubic in appearance. The nucleus — the area of the cell that contains genetic material — is clearly visible in each cell.

Because epithelioid cells lack mobility and adhere closely together, they are less likely to spread compared with sarcomatoid cells. This is one of the reasons epithelial mesothelioma has the best prognosis of the different mesothelioma cancers.

Epithelial Mesothelioma Diagnosis

Accurately diagnosing epithelioid mesothelioma requires multiple steps. Many patients experience significant delays between onset of symptoms and receiving an accurate diagnosis.

Epithelioid Mesothelioma Diagnostic Challenges

• Early symptoms, such as cough and fatigue, mimic less serious respiratory conditions, according to a 2019 Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine article.
• Primary care doctors want to rule out common causes of symptoms before referring a patient for chest scans.
• Even after referral for X-rays, CT scans or an MRI, these tests take time to schedule.
• Imaging only reveals abnormalities; it cannot determine the cause of abnormal chest areas.
• Even after imaging results are available, it takes time to schedule an appointment with a surgeon.
• It can take several weeks or months to get on a surgery schedule.

All of these things may get in the way of obtaining a tissue sample. And only a tumor biopsy — often obtained with thoroscopy or video-assisted thoracic surgery — leads to accurate identification of epithelial mesothelioma.

One of the most important things you can do to minimize diagnostic delays is to share any history of asbestos exposure with your health care provider.

If your doctor knows you’ve been exposed to asbestos, they are more likely to consider a rare cancer such as mesothelioma or another asbestos-related condition.

Role of Immunohistochemistry in Diagnosis

Immunohistochemistry is a laboratory test to detect proteins on the surface of cells. These proteins help classify cancer cell type.

Pathologists use immunohistochemistry to identify epithelioid mesothelioma and differentiate it from another type of cancer called adenocarcinoma.

According to the 2018 ASCO pleural mesothelioma treatment guidelines, immunohistochemistry is a recommended test for suspected mesothelioma tumors.

This analysis will confirm the absence or presence of mesothelioma cell markers, leading to the most accurate diagnosis possible.

Quick Fact:

Your pathology results will show the specific cell type of your cancer. If you haven’t been told your cell type, be sure to ask your doctor and request a copy of the pathology report for your records.

Symptoms of Epithelioid Mesothelioma

Early symptoms of pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma include cough, shortness of breath and lack of appetite. As the disease progresses, more serious symptoms may surface.

Early and Late Mesothelioma Symptoms

• Shortness of breath
• Persistent, nonproductive (dry) cough
• Hoarseness
• Coughing up blood
• Low blood oxygen levels and anemia (low iron)
• Weight loss
• Feeling full, even without eating
• Lack of appetite and nausea
• Fatigue and weakness

What Are the Epithelial Mesothelioma Treatment Options?

Of the three mesothelioma types, epithelial responds best to treatment. Patients diagnosed with it tend to have more treatment and clinical trial options.

Treatments for epithelioid mesothelioma include:

• Surgery: Surgery is a mainstay of epithelial mesothelioma treatment, although some patients may not be eligible for it due to spread of the disease (advanced stage) or other health conditions.
• Chemotherapy: The standard, FDA-approved chemotherapy for treating epithelioid mesothelioma is a combination of Alimta (pemetrexed) plus cisplatin or carboplatin.
• Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy may be used alone or in combination with surgery and chemotherapy. Radiation is not curative for mesothelioma, but it can help manage symptoms and lessen pain.
• Multimodal: According to The Annals of Thoracic Surgery 2019 paper, multimodal therapy, a combination of two or more therapies, resulted in significantly better outcomes for patients with epithelial malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Finding Optimal Mesothelioma Treatment

There are key steps you can take to find the best mesothelioma treatment to meet your needs. Patients who seek out specialty mesothelioma care and receive all of the treatments for which they are eligible have the best life expectancy.

• See an Expert. A study published April 2019 in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, suggests many mesothelioma patients do not receive treatment consistent with national guidelines. This is less likely to happen if you go to a high-volume mesothelioma center where doctors see many patients with this rare disease.
• Consider Alternative Chemotherapy. If you can’t take the FDA-approved chemotherapy cocktail of Alimta (pemetrexed)and cisplatin, work with your doctor to find another chemotherapy plan to best meet your needs.
• Improve Quality of Life. Ask if adding radiation therapy to your palliative care plan is a good idea. While this treatment modality won’t cure mesothelioma, it shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand. It can help you feel much better.

Median Survival

Treatment Type	Median Survival
No Treatment	10.2 Months
Chemotherapy Alone	15.4 Months
Surgery Plus Chemotherapy	21.1 Months
Multimodal (all three)	21.7 Months

If a patient is eligible for aggressive treatment, a combination of surgery and chemotherapy or surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are likely to provide longer survival.

What Is the Prognosis for Epithelioid Mesothelioma?

In 2018, investigators published a detailed analysis of data contained in the National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank.

Compared with other cell types, patients with epithelial disease had an improved prognosis of around 200 additional days of survival. This improved survival rate can amount to years if the cancer is diagnosed in an early stage.

Median survival of epithelioid patients was 18 months, compared with 10 months for patients with biphasic cell type and 7 months for people with sarcomatoid disease.

According to a 2020 study published in Oncology Reports, the prognosis of epithelioid mesothelioma patients is impacted by a protein called connective tissue growth factor. Patients with lower levels of this protein had a better prognosis and longer survival.

Epithelial cell type allows patients to access more aggressive treatment plans and innovative clinical trials, especially when they are being seen at a mesothelioma specialty clinic.

What Are the Characteristics of Epithelioid Cell Subtypes?

Epithelioid mesothelioma has several cell subtypes. The cell subtype generally does not affect treatment choices. However, it can help your doctors tell mesothelioma apart from similar cancers, avoiding misdiagnosis.

Seek Specialty Care

Regardless of cellular subtype, a mesothelioma specialist can help you obtain an accurate diagnosis and receive the best possible therapies for your disease.

Proper treatment and the help of a mesothelioma doctor have helped many people outlive the average mesothelioma prognosis.

Common Questions About Epithelial Mesothelioma

How does a mesothelioma cell type affect my prognosis and treatment?

Patients with the epithelioid cell type have the most mesothelioma treatment options because their cell type responds the best to all forms of treatment. Epithelioid patients also live an average of 200 days longer than patients with other cell types.

How do I find a doctor who treats epithelial mesothelioma?

Most oncologists are not trained to treat epithelioid mesothelioma. Mesothelioma doctors have trained for years to specialize in the treatment of this cancer. Our Patient Advocates can help you find a top doctor who treats epithelial mesothelioma.

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