Biphasic Mesothelioma
Malignant forms of
mesothelioma are categorized into three types:
epithelioid,
sarcomatoid, and biphasic. While epithelioid and
sarcomatoid mesothelioma each exhibit only one type of
cancer cell, biphasic mesothelioma is distinguished by exhibiting both epithelioid and sarcomatoid
mesothelioma cancer cells.
Biphasic mesothelioma was once thought to be the least common of the three types, but in recent years it has been increasingly diagnosed, and is now said to comprise 20 to 35% of all malignant mesothelioma cases. This increase may be due to more advanced and thorough diagnosis techniques.
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Biphasic mesothelioma may be misdiagnosed as either epithelioid or sarcomatoid mesothelioma if only one type of cancer cell is found, and for this reason it is common to
biopsy multiple areas of a cancerous region. It has been said that failing to identify mesothelioma as biphasic is not problematic, as
treatment of the three types of malignant mesothelioma cancer is the same. However, biphasic mesothelioma
cancer patients have the lowest mean survival time (six months), so an accurate diagnosis may help patients determine if they prefer to pursue more aggressive or experimental treatment options.
Methods of treatment for all forms of mesothelioma include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these. In addition, biologic therapy-which attempts to utilize the body's immune system to fight the cancer-and gene therapy are increasingly being added to treatment regimens.