Based on Your Reading:
Get Your Free Mesothelioma Guide
Find a Top Mesothelioma Doctor
Access Help Paying for Treatment
Papillary Mesothelioma
Table Of Contents
Papillary mesothelioma, also called well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma, is a rare subtype of epithelial mesothelioma. Well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma affects the lining of the abdomen (peritoneum), the lining of the lungs (pleura) and the lining of the testes (tunica vaginalis).
Written by Karen Selby, RN | Medically Reviewed By Dr. Rupesh Kotecha | Edited By Walter Pacheco | Last Update: December 2, 2024
"The Patient Advocates are absolutely amazing and helpful! I ...." see more
Pamela K. - Mesothelioma Patient
"I found out about The Mesothelioma Center while researching ...." see more
Karen F. - Mesothelioma Patient
"I reached out and talked to Aaron a couple of weeks before m...." see more
Stan B. - Mesothelioma Patient
"My brother was recently diagnosed with mesothelioma. I began...." see more
Cindy W. - Sister of a Mesothelioma Patient
"My Dad was diagnosed with mesothelioma, and thankfully The M...." see more
Patrick K. - Son of a Mesothelioma Patient
Written by Karen Selby, RN | Medically Reviewed By Dr. Rupesh Kotecha | Edited By Walter Pacheco | Last Update: December 2, 2024
Where Does Papillary Mesothelioma Develop?
Most well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma tumors develop in women. They grow in the abdominal cavity.
Doctors have found WDPMT tumors on several protective membranes. These membranes include the pleura (lung lining), pericardium (heart sac) and tunica vaginalis (testes lining).
Is WDPMT Cancerous?
From a medical standpoint, well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma tumors are benign. Some cases have turned into malignant mesothelioma over time. But the chance of this is low. Some with WDPMT have had recurrences after treatment.
Solid papillary mesothelioma tumors are benign or very low-grade tumors. Differentiating from malignant mesotheliomas is essential. A 2021 report in Modern Pathology confirmed this.
Is There an Asbestos Connection?
Researchers are unsure if asbestos exposure causes the tumor. Some patients have a history of asbestos exposure, but most do not. The cause of this disease remains unclear.
About 50 cases of WDPMT in the peritoneum exist in the medical literature. A 2019 study in the Annals of Surgical Oncology reported this. There are also several small case reports of WDPM of the pleura. There are about 20 documented cases of testicular papillary mesothelioma.
Symptoms and Characteristics
Many cases of well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma tumors have no symptoms. But the disease may cause pain and fluid buildup in some patients.
Primary Characteristics of WDPMT
- Well-differentiated tumors are low-grade. This means cancer cells resemble healthy cells that grow and multiply at a slow rate.
- The cancer does not invade nearby tissues or spread.
- WDPMT is inactive in some cases, showing no cell division.
- The tumor’s cells feature small, finger-like projections called papillae.
- Papillae can create round swirls of calcium, called psammoma bodies.
- Tumors form white or grey nodules ranging from less than 1 centimeter in size to more than 3 centimeters.
- WDPMT can develop as a solitary mass or arise in many sites. The latter has more aggressive behavior.
- Tumors are smaller than 1 centimeter in more than half of all cases.
WDPMT of the tunica vaginalis can cause scrotal swelling or lumps. In a study of 22 WDPMT cases, only two patients reported symptoms to their doctors. One patient experienced acute abdominal pain, and the other had chronic pelvic pain.
Misdiagnosis and Challenges
Doctors must collect a full tumor sample to prevent misdiagnosis. The only definitive procedure for diagnosing WDPM and other mesotheliomas is a biopsy, which collects a tissue sample for laboratory analysis.
Common WDPMT Misdiagnoses
- Reactive mesothelial hyperplasia
- Adenomatoid tumor
- Peritoneal carcinomatosis
- Tuberculous peritonitis
- Serous papillary carcinoma of the ovary
- Serous papillary carcinoma of the peritoneum
While looking for signs of mesothelioma, doctors also look for negative markers. These markers indicate that the tumor is likely not mesothelioma. It is probably another type of cancer. For example, mesothelioma patients rarely test positive for the PAX8 protein. If detected, this could mean kidney, thyroid or female reproductive cancers.
Doctors usually discover this condition during pelvis or abdomen surgery. An imaging test, such as a CT scan, may find it. However, this technique isn’t sensitive enough to detect tumors smaller than 1 centimeter.
Papillary Mesothelioma Treatment
Doctors have not agreed on the best treatment.
Therapy usually involves a combination of the main types of mesothelioma treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Treatment options also depend on where the papillary mesothelioma tumors form.
A mix of surgery and heated chemotherapy treats abdominal cases. In a 2019 Annals of Surgical Oncology study, 37 of the 56 patients received this combination.
Get a Free Mesothelioma Guide
Learn about your diagnosis, top doctors and how to pay for treatment.
Get Your Free GuidePrognosis and Survival Rate of Papillary Mesothelioma
The outlook is better than the prognosis of patients with most other mesothelioma cell types.
Median Survival for Well-Differentiated Papillary Mesothelioma Tumor
| WDPMT of the Pleura | WDPMT of the Peritoneum |
|---|---|
| 6 years and 2 months | 12 years |
Source:
American Journal of Surgical Pathology, 2004; Annals of Surgical Oncology, January 2019
Only 5% to 10% of malignant mesothelioma patients survive five years after diagnosis. Several patients with WDPMT have lived for decades.
This Page Contains 6 Cited Articles
The sources on all content featured in The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com include medical and scientific studies, peer-reviewed studies and other research documents from reputable organizations.
- Churg, A. et al. (2021, September 3). Solid papillary mesothelial tumor. Retrieved from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41379-021-00899-3
- Sun, M. et al. (2019, February). Well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma: A 17-year single institution experience with a series of 75 cases. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1092913418303204?via%3Dihub
- Vogin, G. et al. (2019, January 11). Well-Differentiated Papillary Mesothelioma of the Peritoneum: A Retrospective Study from the RENAPE Observational Registry. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1245%2Fs10434-018-07153-2
- Erdogan, S. et al. (2014, June). Well-Differentiated Papillary Mesothelioma of the Tunica Vaginalis: A Case Study and Review of the Literature. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4087136/
- Malpica, A. et al. (2012). Well-differentiated Papillary Mesothelioma of the Female Peritoneum: A Clinicopathologic Study of 26 Cases. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22024662
- Galateau-Salle, F. et al. (2004). Well-differentiated Papillary Mesothelioma of the Pleura: A Series of 24 Cases. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15087673
-
Current Version
-
December 2, 2024Written ByKaren Selby, RNEdited ByWalter PachecoMedically Reviewed ByRupesh Kotecha
The Nation's Top Mesothelioma Guide
Get Compensation You Deserve
Immunotherapy & Mesothelioma Clinical Trials
Did this article help you?
