Pleural mesothelioma surgery presents several risks, including a much higher risk of blood clots than in patients undergoing other surgeries. In a recent study, researchers from Harvard University identified biomarkers that could predict which mesothelioma patients face the highest risk. This discovery could reduce the current 11% mortality rate from post-operative venous thromboembolism (VTE) that currently kills hundreds of surgical mesothelioma patients each year.
Mesothelioma Surgery Patients Face 32% Blood Clot Risk Versus 2% in Other Surgeries
Pleurectomy surgery is one of several treatment options available to many pleural mesothelioma patients. For those who are eligible, the decision is complicated by significant risk factors, including that mesothelioma patients face a 32% chance of developing venous thromboembolism (blood clots in veins) after pleurectomy surgery, compared with less than 2% after other major surgeries. This is especially dangerous because up to 33% of patients who develop this condition show no symptoms at diagnosis: the clots can form silently.
Though a few tests are being used to assess blood clot risk before mesothelioma surgery, they lack specificity and often yield false positives. This lack of a way to reliably identify which patients will develop life-threatening blood clots has left doctors unable to provide preventive treatments where needed, but in a study published in the February 2026 issue of Scientific Reports, scientists from Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering used advanced mass spectrometry proteomics to identify several promising biomarker candidates.
Using blood samples from 18 patients with either pleural mesothelioma or lung cancer, the researchers identified several biomarkers that could predict blood clot risk. Several of the proteins are involved in the body’s clotting system and immune responses, and some had previously been linked to the risk of blood clots in other medical contexts.
Mesothelioma Biomarker Discovery Could Enable Personalized Treatment Plans
If this technology becomes available, mesothelioma patients who test positive for high-risk biomarkers would be carefully monitored and might be fitted with a prophylactic filter before surgery to catch blood clots before they reach the lungs or heart. At the same time, those who test negative wouldn’t need weekly monitoring, thus reducing both stress and cost. The researchers say that their discovery is “the first step towards personalized treatment plans for pleural mesothelioma patients undergoing surgery.”
Having a reliable predictive test to identify high-risk mesothelioma patients before surgery has the potential to save hundreds of lives. It would allow aggressive prevention of blood clots in those at risk while simultaneously allowing low-risk patients to avoid unnecessary anticoagulant medications that can present bleeding risks.
Every mesothelioma treatment has its pluses and minuses. For information about the options available to you or your loved one, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
