Mesothleioma Treatments - Mesothelioma Asbestos
Taxanes
Paclitaxel. A total of 25 patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) were given paclitaxel intravenously at a dose of 200 mg m-2 as a 3 h infusion every 3 weeks in a phase II study conducted by the EORTC Lung Cancer Cooperative Group (van Meerbeeck et al, 1996). No major objective responses were seen and the median survival time was only 39 weeks.
These disappointing results were confirmed by the CALGB, which administered paclitaxel at a slightly higher dose of 250 mg m-2, given as a 24-hour infusion every 3 weeks plus filgastrim (G-CSF) support to 35 patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) (Vogelzang et al, 1999). Only three (9%) regressions of evaluable disease were observed and the median survival was 5 months.
Fizazi et al, (2000) conducted a phase II study of paclitaxel (200 mg m-2) and cisplatin (100 mg m-2), given to 18 patients on day 1 every 3 weeks. With only one partial response and a response rate of 6%, the paclitaxel-cisplatin doublet was considered ineffective and the trial was stopped early.
Bednar (1999) evaluated the combination of paclitaxel at 175 mg m-2 and carboplatin at an AUC of 5-6 in seven patients with malignant mesothelioma and reported more encouraging results. One patient with peritoneal malignant mesothelioma had a pathologically proven CR for a duration of 20 months. The overall median survival was 15 months from diagnosis and 12 months from the onset of treatment.
Docetaxel. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group assigned 19 patients with malignant mesothelioma to a phase II study of docetaxel 100 mg m-2, administered every 21 days. Only one patient achieved a partial response, with an overall response rate of 5%. The study group thus concluded that docetaxel was not effec-tive in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma (Belani et al, 1999).
Vorobiof et al, (2000), who also evaluated the activity of docetaxel using the same treatment schedule, reported only three partial remissions and six minor responses (25% or less reduction in tumour burden) in 22 Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) patients with median survival barely exceeding 12 months.
A clinical study further tested docetaxel at 60 mg m-2 in combination with irinotecan at 190 mg m-2 on day 1 of a 3-weekly cycle in 15 Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) patients (Knuuttila et al, 2000). No objective responses were achieved, and median survival was 8.5 months only. The study was finally discontinued owing to high toxicity and deficient activity levels.
Mesothelioma Info
There are three specific types of mesothelioma asbestos:
- Pleural mesothelioma, affecting the pleura (lung cavity).
- Peritoneal mesothelioma, affecting the peritoneum (abdominal cavity).
- Pericardial mesothelioma, affecting the pericardium (heart sac).
Mesothelioma symptoms vary dependent on the type of mesothelioma that one is suffering from; however, the most common presenting symptom is chronic chest pain caused by a buildup of fluid inside the pleural space.
Mesothelioma treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy (Alimta, Veglin, cisplatin, gemcitabine), photodynamic therapy, immunotherapy and gene therapy; however, none of the mesothelioma treatments have been able to thwart the rare yet deadly cancer type.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, contact an asbestos lawyer or mesothelioma lawyer to get information about your right to compensation.