Objectives: Second-line immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) was recently shown to have a survival advantage over placebo in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), but the survival comparison to chemotherapy in patients with MPM receiving routine clinical care is unknown. Our objective was to examine the effectiveness of second-line ICI versus … [Read more...]
Neoadjuvant pemetrexed plus cisplatin followed by pleurectomy for malignant pleural mesothelioma.
PURPOSE: Despite becoming the preferred surgical technique for malignant pleural mesothelioma, pleurectomy/decortication has received few prospective clinical trials. Therefore, the Japan Mesothelioma Interest Group conducted a prospective multi-institutional study to evaluate the feasibility of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by … [Read more...]
Anti-Mesothelin CAR T cell therapy for malignant mesothelioma
AbstractMalignant mesothelioma (MM) is a treatment-resistant tumor originating in the mesothelial lining of the pleura or the abdominal cavity with very limited treatment options. More effective therapeutic approaches are urgently needed to improve the poor prognosis of MM patients. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has emerged as a … [Read more...]
New Options Spark Sequencing and Biomarker Trials in Mesothelioma
Now that a new standard of care has been established in frontline mesothelioma, clinical trials are needed to evaluate optimal sequencing with checkpoint inhibitors in the salvage setting and determine whether biomarkers of response to immunotherapy could further tailor treatment to individual patients [ with unresectable pleural mesothelioma ], … [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 [malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM)] and … [Read more...]
Malignant Diffuse Mesothelioma in Women — A Study of 354 Cases
We reviewed 354 cases of malignant diffuse mesothelioma (MM) in women from a database of 2858 histologically confirmed MM cases. There was a pleural predominance with 78% [ pleural malignant mesothelioma ] and 22% [ peritoneal malignant mesothelioma ]. The pleural tumors consisted of 72% epithelioid, 19% biphasic, and 9% sarcomatoid variant. The … [Read more...]
50 Patients with Malignant Mesothelioma of Both the Pleura and Peritoneum: A Single-Institution Experience
Background: The most common sites of malignant mesothelioma are the pleura and peritoneum, but little is known about the incidence, prognosis, or treatment of patients with disease in both cavities. Previous series suggest that multimodality treatment improves overall survival for pleural or peritoneal disease, but studies typically exclude [ … [Read more...]
Radical hemithoracic radiotherapy doubles survival among certain patients with mesothelioma
Patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma who underwent nonradical surgery and chemotherapy appeared twice as likely to achieve 2-year OS with radical hemithoracic radiotherapy vs. palliative radiotherapy, according to randomized phase 3 study results presented at European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology Congress. Based on these … [Read more...]
Diagnostic Value of Biopsy Sampling in Predicting Histology in Patients With Diffuse Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
BACKGROUND: The classification of diffuse malignant mesothelioma into epithelioid, biphasic, and sarcomatoid types is based on histologic patterns. The diagnosis is made on biopsies, and because of intratumoral heterogeneity, they may not be representative of the entire tumor. The number and volume of biopsies needed to reach diagnostic accuracy in … [Read more...]
Another Antiangiogenic Failure in Unresectable Mesothelioma
The addition of nintedanib (Ofev) to standard of care pemetrexed (Alimta) plus cisplatin failed to delay disease progression in patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma, according to phase III results of the LUME-Meso study. After a median treatment duration of more than 5 months, median progression-free survival was 6.8 months … [Read more...]