Drug combo effective for peritoneal mesothelioma
13 Oct 2008 by Wendi Lewis under News, Research/Treatment
Results at the completion of a Phase II trial researching the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma indicate a combination of the drugs Alimta (pemetraxed) and Gemzar (gemcitabine) is effective in increasing survival time and controlling disease progression. The findings were published in the July 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and reported by Cancer Consultants, Inc.
According to the report, the study involved 20 patients treated between 2002 and 2004 who received Alimta and Gemzar every 21 days, along with folic acid, vitamin B12 and dexamethasone. Cancer Consultants reports overall response rate was 15 percent, disease control rate was 50 percent, median time to disease progression was 10.4 months and the median survival time was 26.8 months. Additionally, the report notes that toxicities were tolerable.
Cancer Consultants notes that peritoneal mesothelioma makes up less than 20 percent of all cases of mesothelioma, with pleural mesothelioma being more common. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a specific form of mesothelioma that affects the peritoneum, which is the serous membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity.
Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of the disease, making up about 75 percent of all cases. Pleural mesothelioma affects the outer lining of the lungs and chest cavity.
Because of its relative rarity, there have been few studies of chemotherapy as a treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma, and there are no controlled trials of various treatment options available for peritoneal mesothelioma.
Traditional therapy for peritoneal mesothelioma has involved surgical debulking followed by systemic and/or intraperitoneal chemotherapy.
Cancer Consultants, which delivers educational programs and resources to more than 18 million targeted seekers of cancer information, has been producing and distributing cancer information for patients and professionals since 1998.
The publication notes that this study is one of the first devoted to systemic chemotherapy treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma and as such provides an important baseline for research.
