Pleurectomy/Decortication Followed by Intrathoracic/Intraperitoneal Heated Cisplatin for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

• Patients will undergo surgery with pleurectomy/decortication which entails the removal of the inner and outer skin of the lung, including the pleura overlying the pericardium and diaphragm. Resection of the pericardium and diaphragm are occasionally necessary to debulk the tumor. This surgery is part of standard care for pleural mesothelioma.
• After surgery, a one hour lavage with heated cisplatin will be administered to the hemithorax (and abdominal regions if the diaphragm is no longer present). The lung itself is not removed, only the diseased portion of the lung and surrounding areas with tumor.
• Immediately following the one-hour lavage, a six hour infusion of sodium thiosulfate will begin to help reduce the side effects of the cisplatin.
• Patients will remain hospitalized until they have recovered from surgery (usually 7-14 days).
• Patients will return to the hospital three months after their surgery to have fluid drawn from their chest via an ultrasound guided thoracentesis. This is called a saline wash.
• Patients will be in the study actively for three months. This includes a 2-week and 4-week post-operative follow-up in which blood work is performed. As well as a 3-month follow-up for the saline wash. Long-term follow-up includes computed tomography of the chest and abdomen every 6 months to assess recurrence.

Inclusion criteria

• Histopathologic confirmation of malignant pleural mesothelioma
• Patients who are able to tolerate surgical cytoreduction but unable to undergo extrapleural pneumonectomy due to poor cardiopulmonary reserve or tumor invasion
• 18 years of age or older
• Malignancy is confined to the affected hemithorax.
• Grossly normal cardiac function with an EKG showing no cardiomyopathy or acute changes
• Evidence of adequate renal and hepatic function
• Karnofsky performance status of 70% or greater

Exclusion criteria

• Extended disease outside the ipsilateral hemithorax as determined radiologically and intraoperatively
• Distant metastases
• Non-malignant systemic disease
• Active concomitant malignancy
• Psychiatric or addictive disorders which would preclude obtaining informed consent
• Prior treatment within the last 2 months, other than surgical resection for their current malignancy