In a Dutch single-institution phase II trial (PEMMELA) reported in The Lancet Oncology, Douma et al found that the combination of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib showed activity as second- and third-line treatments of patients with pleural mesothelioma. Study Details A total of 38 evaluable patients with disease progression after … [Read more...]
Pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib in second-line and third-line patients with pleural mesothelioma (PEMMELA): a single-arm phase 2 study
Background: The combination of pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, and lenvatinib, an antiangiogenic multikinase inhibitor, shows synergistic activity in preclinical and clinical studies in solid tumours. We assessed the clinical activity of this combination therapy [ of pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib ] in patients with pleural mesothelioma who … [Read more...]
Exhaled Breath May Predict Treatment Outcomes in Patients With Mesothelioma
The identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath is a promising opportunity for noninvasive detection and prediction of treatment outcomes in patients with mesothelioma, according to data from a pilot study presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2023 World Conference on Lung Cancer, held … [Read more...]
Study Questions Use of Aggressive Surgery in Early Mesothelioma
Extended pleurectomy/decortication combined with platinum and pemetrexed chemotherapy was associated with worse outcomes in patients with resectable mesothelioma compared with chemotherapy alone, according to a randomized trial. "As a surgeon, you have no idea how much it pains me to conclude that extended pleurectomy/decortication -- an … [Read more...]
Feladilimab by GSK for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma: Likelihood of Approval
[Feladilimab] is under development [by the pharmaceutical company GSK] for the treatment of [malignant pleural mesothelioma], advanced solid tumors including non-small cell lung cancer, squamous non-small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, esophageal, urothelial cancer, clear renal cell carcinoma, head and neck cancer squamous cell … [Read more...]
Occupational exposure to cosmetic talc and mesothelioma in barbers, hairdressers, and cosmetologists: A systematic review of the epidemiology
Inhalation exposure to cosmetic talc has generated much scientific debate regarding its potential as a risk factor for mesothelioma, a rare, but fatal cancer. Barbers, hairdressers, and cosmetologists have regularly used cosmetic talc-containing products, but the collective epidemiological evidence for mesothelioma in these occupations has yet to … [Read more...]
Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) Presenting as Hydropneumothorax
An 86-year-old man presented with bilateral lower limb edema and was found to have hydropneumothorax on chest radiography. CT revealed a substantial pleural effusion and plaques. The patient had a history of working in a stone workshop, but the extent of asbestos exposure remained unknown. Thoracic drainage and subsequent thoracoscopic surgery … [Read more...]
Georgia-Pacific Is Litigation-Protected After Unit’s Bankruptcy
Georgia-Pacific LLC can avoid tort lawsuits tied to certain products while its affiliate, Bestwall LLC, seeks to resolve those claims in bankruptcy, the Fourth Circuit ruled. The US Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of North Carolina, which is overseeing Bestwall’s Chapter 11 case, had “related to” jurisdiction to issue a preliminary … [Read more...]
Manufactured doubt and the EPA 2020 chrysotile asbestos risk assessment
While all forms of asbestos have been determined to be carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as well as other authoritative bodies, the relative carcinogenic potency of chrysotile continues to be argued, largely in the context of toxic tort litigation. Relatively few epidemiologic studies have investigated … [Read more...]
Merck reports positive data from malignant pleural mesothelioma trial
Merck and the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) have reported positive data from the Phase II/III CCTG IND.227/KEYNOTE-483 trial of Keytruda, along with chemotherapy, as first-line treatment for advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. The open-label, randomised Phase II/III trial has been designed for assessing the combination of … [Read more...]