Surgery, by itself, has proved disappointing. In one large series, the median survival with surgery (including extrapleural pneumonectomy) was only 11.7 months.[28] However, research indicates varied success when used in combination with radiation and chemotherapy (Duke, 2008). (For more information on multimodality therapy with surgery, see below).
Mesotheliomas are almost universally considered a fatal neoplasm, and until recently the treatment options were very limited and ineffective. The overall median survival was only 1 year. Nevertheless, a few mesothelioma cases of long-term survivors have been reported (longest survival reported is 19 years.