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...]
Pleural Mesothelioma: A Rapid Evolution of an Indolent Disease
Mesothelioma is a rare and insidious neoplasm and is characterized by its highly malignant and aggressive nature. The most common etiology is asbestos exposure, but there are some reports without known asbestos exposure and other factors leading to malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Here, we present the case of a 58-year-old woman with … [Read more...]
Preoperative immunotherapy for mesothelioma shows favorable outcomes
In a study published recently in the journal Clinical Cancer Research, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that treating patients who have resectable malignant pleural mesothelioma, meaning that their tumor can be removed with surgery, with immunotherapy ahead of surgery resulted in favorable clinical outcomes. The study lays the … [Read more...]
Pembrolizumab/Lenvatinib Combo Shows Positive Clinical Activity in Recurrent Pleural Mesothelioma
The combination of pembrolizumab (Keytruda), and lenvatinib (Lenvima) demonstrated promising clinical activity with no unexpected toxicities in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), according to results from the PEMMELA study (NCT04287829) presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer 2022 World … [Read more...]
Galinpepimut-S Plus Nivolumab Extends Survival in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
The combination of galinpepimut-S and nivolumab (Opdivo) was found to extend survival in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma who were either refractory to, or who had relapsed after, at least 1 line of standard therapy, according to updated data from a phase 1 trial (NCT04040231). The median overall survival (OS), which was calculated … [Read more...]
Second Surgery for Recurrent Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma after Multimodality Treatment: A Systematic Review
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive asbestos-related tumour with poor prognosis. To date, a multimodality treatment, including chemotherapy and surgery, with or without radiotherapy, is the gold standard therapy for selected patients with epithelioid and early-stage MPM. In this setting, the goal of surgery is to achieve the … [Read more...]
First-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab versus chemotherapy in patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma: 3-year outcomes from CheckMate 743
Background: In the phase 3 CheckMate 743 study (NCT02899299), first-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab significantly improved overall survival (OS) versus chemotherapy in patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma [(unresectable MPM)]. We report updated data with 3-year minimum follow-up. Patients and methods: Adults with previously … [Read more...]
Surgical Risk and Survival Associated With Less Invasive Surgery for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
We compared less invasive surgery with conventional surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients with MPM who received surgery at Hyogo College of Medicine between July 2004 and April 2016. Patients underwent multimodal treatment comprising chemotherapy (neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant) and surgery … [Read more...]
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Extend Survival for Mesothelioma
Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapies have ushered in an exciting new phase of clinical research and treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), offering more effective and less toxic treatment options for patients. The research and clinical oncology communities eagerly await the completion of several upcoming trials focused on … [Read more...]
Nivolumab plus ipilimumab confers sustained OS benefit in malignant pleural mesothelioma
Nivolumab plus ipilimumab conferred a durable survival benefit compared with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma, according to randomized phase 3 trial data released by the manufacturer. The open-label, multicenter CheckMate-743 trial included 605 patients who received six cycles of pemetrexed and … [Read more...]