Vascularity Impact on the Treatment Outcome in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Abstract

Summary alignant mesothelioma is a rare aggressive tumour arising from mesothelial cells of the pleural, peritoneal cavity, pericardium and tunica vaginalis of the testis. Mesothelioma is estimated to occur in approximately 2500 people in the United States every year, malignant pleural mesothelioma occur mainly in older men (median age of 72 years), median overall survival is approximatly 1 year. A lot of data indicate a relationship between mesothelioma and asbestos, the latency periods elapsing between first exposure to asbestos and development of mesothelioma are mostly longer than 40Years, Some recent studies show that the risk increases with the duration of exposure, Possible co-factors in the pathogenesis of asbestos-related mesothelioma include genetic predisposition, diets poor in fruit and vegetables, viruses, immune impairment, recurrent serosal inflammation. Although the mechanism of carcinogenesis is not fully understood, Several molecular pathways involved in malignant pleural mesothelioma have been identified; these include cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, growth factor pathways, and angiogenesis. M  Summary 103 The tumours require the continuous formation of new blood vessels inorder to grow. Malignant mesothelioma cells produce angiogenic factors,such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) زMacrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and its recptor CD74 found to be associated with angiogenic activity.