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...]
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...]
Incidence of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Decreased in the United States During 2004 to 2019
Despite a rising global incidence, long-term data reveal the U.S. [ incidence rate of pleural mesothelioma ] has decreased and overall survival for patients with mesothelioma is improving, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Lung Cancer Congress, held from March 29 to April 1 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Mohamed … [Read more...]
A Gelatinous Pleural Effusion as a Diagnostic Clue
Pleural effusion is a common presentation of several pathologies, and the determination of its cause is facilitated by macroscopic, biochemical, microbiological, and cellular analysis. A systematic approach to analyzing the fluid allows for a reduction in clinical diagnoses. Only a select number of diagnoses can be established definitively by … [Read more...]