Tissue Procurement and Natural History Study of Patients With Malignant Mesothelioma

Background:

- Malignant mesothelioma is a malignancy arising from the mesothelial cells of the

pleura, peritoneum, pericardium, or tunica vaginalis.

- Mesothelioma accounts for 0.10% of deaths annually in the United States. Malignant

pleural mesothelioma is the most common of these, comprising of 80% of the cases

with an annual incidence of about 2,500 in the United States.

- The median survival from diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma is approximately 12

months. The majority of patients present with stage III or IV disease with 85-90% of

patients considered unresectable at diagnosis.

- Peritoneal mesothelioma has a better prognosis than pleural mesothelioma;

nevertheless, patients undergoing therapy for peritoneal mesothelioma have few

well-studied treatment options due in large part to the rarity of the disease.

- In addition to mesothelioma, mesothelin is highly expressed in several cancers,

including pancreatic, biliary adenocarcinomas, gastric and ovarian cancers;

mesothelin is also expressed in a significantly larger proportion of thymic

carcinoma than thymoma.

- Mesothelin expression level has been correlated with improved overall survival in

thymic cancer and with reduced overall survival in patients with lung cancer.

Objective:

-To allow sample acquisition for use in the study of mesothelioma and other mesothelin

expressing cancers.

Eligibility:

- All participants age greater than or equal to 2 years with malignant mesothelioma

- All participants age greater than or equal to 18 years with thymic carcinoma,

pancreatic or biliary adenocarcinoma or lung, gastric or ovarian cancers

- Must be able and willing to provide informed consent if 18 or over; parent or

guardian must be able and willing to provide consent for participants under the age

of 18

Design:

- Up to 1000 participants will be enrolled.

- Participants will be followed to determine the course of disease and to record any

treatment received for the eligible mesothelin expressing cancer.

- Participants will undergo sampling of blood, urine, tumor and abnormal body fluids

for tissue banking.

- Studies which may be performed on banked material include genetic and genomic

studies, establishment of cell cultures and immunologic studies.