Biphasic Mesothelioma

Three different types of cells may comprise a mesothelioma tumor: sarcomatoid, epithelioid or biphasic. Currently accounting for 20 to 35 percent of mesothelioma cases, malignant biphasic mesothelioma is the second most common type of mesothelioma.

New reports, however, suggest that due to the recent introduction of advanced technology, biphasic (mixed) cells may actually be present in 46 to 63 percent of mesothelioma cases.  Since mesothelioma biphasic cells are made up of both epithelioid and sarcomatoid cells and the cells are not evenly distributed across the tumor, prior diagnostic techniques may not have detected both forms of cells.

Biphasic Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Prognosis

Special care must be taken when diagnosing any mesothelioma tumor since there is always the potential that more than one form of cell comprises the tumor, as in the case of biphasic mesothelioma. As a result, diagnosis requires multiple samples to be taken from different locations across the growth in question. Doctors do not assign prognoses based on the type of cells involved with cancer, rather on the location and stage of the mesothelioma. Generally, patients with biphasic mesothelioma receive a poorer prognosis because the cells involved are very resistant to treatment.

Biphasic Mesothelioma Treatment

Mesothelioma biphasic tumors are the most resistant to traditional treatment methods. Because biphasic mesothelioma cells are very stubborn, an aggressive course of treatment is often suggested to treat them. Treatment is tailored more towards the classification of mesothelioma based on location rather than cell type, but biphasic mesothelioma patients may undergo treatments including radiation therapy, surgery or chemotherapy. Alternative treatments and clinical trials are additional options for patients interested in submitting to non-traditional therapies.