Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42026555›Full record

ReviewBMC pulmonary medicine2026

Diagnosis and management of pleural mesothelioma: three unique cases and review of the literature.

Zeina Al Achkar, Dany Gaspard, Mirella Iskandar

Abstract readCase ReportsReview
In one paragraph

Review in BMC pulmonary medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Zeina Al AchkarDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Lebanese American University Medical Center - Rizk Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon.
Dany GaspardDepartment of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Lebanese American University Medical Center - Rizk Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon. Dany.gaspard@lau.edu.lb.
Mirella IskandarLebanese American University, Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Byblos, Lebanon.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMesothelioma is a rare pleural tumor. Compared to diffuse pleural mesothelioma, localized pleural mesothelioma carries a better prognosis and may be managed with surgical resection. Among histologic subtypes, the sarcomatoid variant is the least common but is associated with the poorest outcome. Diagnosis remains challenging, with immunohistochemistry playing a central role in confirming the disease. While surgical resection is the cornerstone of management, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy are considered in unresectable cases. Overall, mesothelioma continues to carry a poor prognosis. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe three cases of pleural mesothelioma that posed diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. The first case involved a rapidly progressive sarcomatoid mesothelioma, initially raising concern for Ewing’s sarcoma, which was excluded based on negative immunohistochemical markers. The second case was an epithelioid mesothelioma successfully treated with extrapleural pneumonectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy, resulting in prolonged survival. The third case, the only one with documented asbestos exposure, represents the first reported instance of synchronous epithelioid mesothelioma and invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.

conclusionMesothelioma is a rare and complex pleural malignancy that may present in atypical ways, complicating both diagnosis and management. These cases underscore the importance of immunohistochemical profiling, highlight the value of multidisciplinary diagnostic approaches, and reaffirm the pivotal role of surgery within the therapeutic algorithm.

Indexed as

Lung NeoplasmsMesotheliomaPleural NeoplasmsAgedCarcinoma, Ductal, BreastChemotherapy, AdjuvantFemaleHumansImmunohistochemistryMaleMesothelioma, MalignantMiddle AgedPneumonectomyTomography, X-Ray ComputedAsbestos exposureBiphasic mesotheliomaEpithelioid mesotheliomaExtrapleural pneumonectomyImmunohistochemistryMesotheliomaPleural mesotheliomaSarcomatoid mesotheliomaSynchronous malignancy

Identifiers

PMID42026555
PMCPMC13245077

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