The Diagnostic Trap in Radiation-Induced Mesothelioma: Kinetic-Morphological Decoupling Masks Molecular Aggression

Simple Summary Typically, the microscopic appearance of a tumor predicts its biological aggression. However, in malignant pleural mesothelioma caused by radiation, our analysis of 20 rare cases without asbestos exposure suggests that this rule can be clinically deceptive. In this cohort, the intensity of radiotherapy doses appears to shape how the cancer evolves: moderate doses were associated with gradual, age-dependent latent periods, while high doses were associated with rapid, aggressive onset. Paradoxically, these aggressive high-dose tumors retained an indolent-appearing morphology, presenting a potential diagnostic trap that masks their true nature. We propose that reviewing a patient’s radiotherapy history could help expose this discrepancy, potentially guiding risk-stratified precision therapy.

• Publication year

  2026

• Venue

  Cancers

• Publication date

  2026-01-01

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3390/cancers18020221PMID 41595142PMCID 12839075
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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