Objective: Evaluate the long-term outcomes of pleurectomy decortication, systemic chemotherapy and prophylactic radiotherapy in pleural mesothelioma (PM). Summary background data: There is no known cure for PM and cytoreductive surgery remains controversial. Methods: Retrospective analysis of a cohort of patients treated consecutively … [Read more...]
Treatment of Pleural Mesothelioma: ASCO Guideline Update
Since the initial [American Society of Clinical Oncologists (ASCO)] clinical practice guideline on the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (PM) was published in 2018, considerable progress has been made which has changed not only the management but even the name of this disease. This guideline update focuses on four key areas: the role of … [Read more...]
Diffuse Pleural Mesothelioma: A Challenge in Early Diagnosis
Abstract: We present the clinical case of a 58-year-old female patient, a smoker with occupational exposure to respiratory toxins, who was admitted to our clinic following evaluation in an emergency department, where she was diagnosed with a moderate right pleural effusion. Upon admission, the patient exhibited respiratory symptoms, including … [Read more...]
Immunotherapy for Treatment of Pleural Mesothelioma: Current and Emerging Therapeutic Strategies
Pleural mesothelioma is a rare malignancy associated with asbestos exposure and very poor prognosis, with a 5-year overall survival of 12%. Outcomes may vary according to stage at time of diagnosis and histologic subtype. Most recently, clinical trials utilizing dual checkpoint inhibitor regimens and chemotherapy in combination with immune … [Read more...]
FDA Approves Pembrolizumab Plus Chemo for Unresectable Advanced or Metastatic Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
The FDA has approved [ Keytruda (pembrolizumab) ] plus pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy in the frontline treatment of patients with unresectable advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma. Data from the phase 2/3 KEYNOTE-483 study (NCT02784171) showed that [ Keytruda (pembrolizumab) ] plus chemotherapy (n = 222) significantly … [Read more...]
Extended pleurectomy decortication and chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for pleural mesothelioma (MARS 2): a phase 3 randomised controlled trial
Background: Extended pleurectomy decortication for complete macroscopic resection for pleural mesothelioma has never been evaluated in a randomised trial. The aim of this study was to compare outcomes after extended pleurectomy decortication plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone. Methods: MARS 2 was a phase 3, national, multicentre, … [Read more...]
Predictive potential of MRI in differentiating the predominant component in biphasic pleural mesothelioma
Purpose: To assess the potential of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values derived from diffusion weighted (DW) MRI preoperatively to predict the predominant histologic component among biphasic pleural mesothelioma (PM) tumors. Methods: ADC maps were generated from DW MRI scans. Histology and predominant component of [ biphasic pleural … [Read more...]
Validation of Inflammatory Prognostic Biomarkers in Pleural Mesothelioma
Asbestos exposure is known as the main elicitor of pleural mesothelioma (PM) development. The pathology’s rarity, wide range of growth patterns, and devastating prognosis have hindered a standardized treatment to date. This study intended to determine possible prognosticators contributing to adjusting the treatment allocation. This initiated the … [Read more...]
Impact of Surgery on Disease Progression and Survival of Patients with Pleural Mesothelioma
BACKGROUND: The effects of surgery on the survival of patients with pleural mesothelioma remain poorly understood. We compared the therapeutic outcomes of patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery or refusing surgery for pleural mesothelioma. METHODS: This retrospective study included consecutive [ patients with pleural … [Read more...]
Pegargiminase Confers Survival Benefit in Nonepithelioid Pleural Mesothelioma
Adding pegargiminase to standard chemotherapy can improve outcomes in patients with chemotherapy-naïve, nonepithelioid pleural mesothelioma, according to research published in JAMA Oncology. [Szlosarek PW, Creelan BC, Sarkodie T, et al. Pegargiminase plus first-line chemotherapy in patients with nonepithelioid pleural mesothelioma. The ATOMIC-Meso … [Read more...]