The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has granted a $2.5 million, five-year R37 MERIT Award to Dr. Bryan Burt, associate professor of surgery and chief of the Division of General Thoracic Surgery, for his research project titled, “Proteomic Determinants of Response to Checkpoint Blockade in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.” “Malignant pleural … [Read more...]
First-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab in unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (CheckMate 743): a multicentre, randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial
Background: Approved systemic treatments for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) have been limited to chemotherapy regimens that have moderate survival benefit with poor outcomes. Nivolumab plus ipilimumab has shown clinical benefit in other tumour types, including first-line non-small-cell lung cancer. We hypothesised that this regimen would … [Read more...]
Cell and extracellular matrix interaction models in benign mesothelial and malignant pleural mesothelioma cells in 2D and 3D in‐vitro
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive tumour that grows in the pleural cavity. [ Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) ] spheroids released in the pleural fluid can form new tumour foci. Cell–cell, cell–extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions in 2D and 3D impact malignant cell behaviour during cell adhesion, migration, proliferation … [Read more...]
Surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma after radiotherapy (SMART): final results from a single-centre, phase 2 trial
Background: A novel approach for managing malignant pleural mesothelioma, surgery for mesothelioma after radiotherapy (SMART), consisting of a short accelerated course of high-dose, hemithoracic, intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) followed by extrapleural pneumonectomy was developed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical … [Read more...]
Chemo-Free Regimen Boosts OS in Mesothelioma
A chemotherapy-free combination significantly improved overall survival (OS) as initial therapy for unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), a large randomized trial showed. Patients treated with nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) had a media OS of 18.1 months versus 14.1 months for patients randomized to chemotherapy. The … [Read more...]
A multicentre randomised phase III trial comparing pembrolizumab vs single-agent chemotherapy for advanced pre-treated malignant pleural mesothelioma: the European Thoracic Oncology Platform (ETOP 9-15) PROMISE-meso trial
Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive malignancy characterized by limited treatment options and a poor prognosis. At relapse after platinum-based chemotherapy, single-agent chemotherapy is commonly used and single-arm trials of immune-checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated encouraging activity. Patients and … [Read more...]
FDA Approves Drug Combination for Treating Mesothelioma
[On October 02, 2020], the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Opdivo (nivolumab) in combination with Yervoy (ipilimumab) for the first-line treatment of adults with malignant pleural mesothelioma that cannot be removed by surgery. This is the first drug regimen approved for mesothelioma in 16 years and the second FDA-approved systemic … [Read more...]
Durvalumab with first-line chemotherapy in previously untreated malignant pleural mesothelioma (DREAM): a multicentre, single-arm, phase 2 trial with a safety run-in
Background: There is a strong unmet need to improve systemic therapy in mesothelioma. Chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed improves survival in malignant pleural mesothelioma, and immune checkpoint inhibitors are an emerging treatment in this disease. We aimed to evaluate the activity of durvalumab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, given during … [Read more...]
Telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter mutations identify a genomically defined and highly aggressive human pleural mesothelioma subgroup
Purpose: Human malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is characterized by dismal prognosis. Consequently, dissection of molecular mechanisms driving malignancy is of key importance. Here we investigate, whether activating mutations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene promoter are present in MPM and associated with disease progression, … [Read more...]
Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Clinical practice guidelines for the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma were released in May 2020 by the EuropeanRespiratory Society, European Society of Thoracic Surgeons, European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, and European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology. Epidemiology Research Priorities The task force recommends … [Read more...]