The Role of Surgery in Pleural Mesothelioma: A Journey through the Evidence, MARS 2 and Beyond

Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is a rare incurable disease, predominantly linked to asbestos exposure. Not only is diagnosis difficult, but treatment choices are often limited to systemic anti-cancer treatment with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. Surgery has been employed for decades, but its application has been fiercely debated despite some randomized controlled trials such as the recent Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery 2 (MARS 2) study. We provide a commentary on this controversial topic.