ABSTRACT
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare primary tumour arising from the mesothelial cells lining the peritoneal cavity and accounts for 10%–30% of all cases of mesothelioma. The term ‘peritoneal mesothelioma’ represents a spectrum of primary peritoneal tumours with varying degrees of malignant biology. Well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma is often grouped together with multicystic mesothelioma and classified as low-grade disease, as they generally have a better prognosis than diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma subtypes. The clinical presentation of peritoneal mesothelioma is comprised of a wide variety of mostly non-specific signs and symptoms. In patients with extensive disease and/or predicted incomplete cytoreduction, a strategy of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy may be used to downstage disease and increase the likelihood of achieving a complete tumour removal. With careful patient selection, complete Cytoreductive Surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy can offer substantial long-term survival, exceeding the outcomes traditionally achieved with systemic chemotherapy.
