Radiation therapy for preventing instrumentation track metastases in malignant pleural mesothelioma

Abstract

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of radiation therapy for preventing instrumentation track metastases in malignant pleural mesothelioma. Secondary objectives include to determine: the true incidence of instrumentation track metastases in contemporary MPM patient populations; the impact of patient characteristics (e.g. histological subtype of MPM) and intervention characteristics (e.g. maximally invasive versus minimally invasive) on the risk of developing instrumentation track metastases; the impact of radiation treatment on secondary patient outcomes such as quality of life, survival time, and disease-free interval; and the incidence of irradiation-induced dermatitis in MPM patients receiving prophylactic radiotherapy.