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Mesothelioma Diagnosis & Treatment Flashcards

7 cards from real Mesothelioma Navy practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. A Navy veteran's pleural biopsy shows cells staining positive for calretinin, WT-1, and CK5/6, but negative for TTF-1 and CEA. What is the most likely diagnosis?

    Answer: Epithelioid mesothelioma

    The immunoprofile (calretinin+, WT-1+, CK5/6+, TTF-1−, CEA−) is characteristic of epithelioid mesothelioma, not lung carcinoma.

  2. What does the term 'malignant pleural effusion' mean in the setting of mesothelioma?

    Answer: Fluid in the pleural space containing malignant cells shed by the tumor

    Malignant pleural effusion contains cancerous cells and is a common presenting feature of pleural mesothelioma, causing dyspnea and chest heaviness.

  3. Which genetic mutation, involving a tumor suppressor gene, is the most common somatic alteration found in mesothelioma?

    Answer: BAP1 loss

    BAP1 (BRCA1-associated protein 1) loss is the most frequently identified somatic alteration in mesothelioma and is also linked to hereditary predisposition.

  4. During a thoracentesis for mesothelioma diagnosis, the cytology returns 'atypical mesothelial cells.' What should the next diagnostic step typically be?

    Answer: Proceed with image-guided or surgical pleural biopsy for definitive tissue diagnosis

    Atypical cytology is insufficient for a definitive mesothelioma diagnosis; a tissue biopsy providing histologic architecture and immunohistochemistry is required.

  5. What is 'hemithoracic radiation' and when is it used in mesothelioma management?

    Answer: High-dose radiation to one entire side of the chest, typically after EPP to reduce local recurrence

    Hemithoracic radiation delivers high doses to the entire affected side of the chest and is used postoperatively after EPP as part of a multimodal approach.

  6. What does 'epithelioid' mesothelioma mean histologically, and why does it matter for prognosis?

    Answer: Cells with epithelial-like morphology; associated with best prognosis among the three subtypes

    Epithelioid mesothelioma has cells resembling epithelial tissue and carries the best prognosis, with median survival typically exceeding that of sarcomatoid or biphasic disease.

  7. A veteran with mesothelioma is enrolled in a clinical trial testing a VEGF inhibitor combined with standard chemotherapy. What biological process does VEGF inhibition target?

    Answer: Tumor angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels feeding the tumor)

    VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) promotes angiogenesis, and inhibiting it starves the tumor of the blood supply it needs to grow.