Impact of surgical intervention on overall survival in malignant pleural mesothelioma: A population-based cohort study with propensity score matching

Background

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive cancer with limited treatment options. This study aims to assess the impact of surgical intervention on overall survival (OS) in patients with MPM and to identify prognostic factors influencing survival outcomes.

Methods

Data from the SEER-17 Database between 2000 and 2019 were analyzed. Patients were categorized into surgery and no-surgery groups. Survival analyses were conducted using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to reduce biases.

Results

The study included a total of 3901 MPM patients, with 1190 in the surgery group and 2711 in the no-surgery group. The median OS for the entire cohort was 10 months. The surgery group had a median OS of 15 months compared to 8 months in the no-surgery group (p < 0.001). The 1-year and 5-year OS rates for surgery patients were 56.9 % and 11.2 %, respectively, while for no-surgery patients, they were 34.9 % and 3.7 % (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that no-surgery was an independent risk factor for worse OS (HR 1.38, 95 % CI 1.21–1.39, p < 0.001). After PSM, no-surgery remained an independent risk factor influencing OS. Subgroup analysis indicated that surgery benefited most groups except those aged ≥80 years, bilateral disease, N3 stage, and certain histological grades.

Conclusion

Surgical intervention significantly improves survival in patients with MPM. However, benefits vary across subgroups, and careful consideration of patient-specific factors is essential.