Induction chemotherapy, extrapleural pneumonectomy, and radiotherapy in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma: the Memorial Sloan-Kettering experience
Thursday, April 7th, 2005.
Lung Cancer. 2005 Jul;49 Suppl 1:S71-4. Epub 2005 Apr 7. [Link]
Flores RM.
Thoracic Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, Room C-879, New York, NY 10021, USA. floresr@mskcc.org
Abstract
Approximately 25% of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) prove unresectable at surgery and the median survival of stage III MPM is <12 months even after complete resection by extrapleural pneumonectomy. From 1939-2004, a series of sequential clinical trials has been performed at our institution. The surgical procedure has been modified and improved upon, and adjuvant hemithoracic radiation (RT) standardized. The evolution of our current standard of care for MPM is discussed. Improving chemotherapy for MPM led us to test induction chemotherapy followed by EPP and adjuvant RT for locally advanced MPM to assess feasibility. Patients with T3-4 or N2 MPM by CT and PET scans were enrolled on a phase II study. Induction therapy was: gemcitabine (1250 mg/m2 days 1, 8) and cisplatin (75 mg/m2 day 8)x2-4 cycles. Patients underwent EPP 3-5 weeks after induction therapy, then 54 Gy RT 4-6 weeks postop. At surgery, 8/9 had complete resection by EPP with no postoperative deaths. All received planned adjuvant RT. This combined modality approach is feasible for locally advanced MPM, and initial analysis suggests improved resectability. This experience supports additional studies of induction and multimodality therapy, especially with regimens such as cisplatin and pemetrexed which may be better tolerated and more effective.
Glossary
- therapy
- any of the measures taken to treat a disease. Unproven therapy is any therapy that has not been scientifically tested and approved. Use of an unproven therapy instead of standard (proven) therapy is called alternative therapy. Some alternative therapies have dangerous or even life-threatening side effects. For others, the main danger is that a patient may lose the opportunity to benefit from standard therapy. Complementary therapy, on the other hand, refers to therapies used in addition to standard therapy. Some complementary therapies may help relieve certain symptoms of cancer, relieve side effects of standard cancer therapy, or improve a patient's sense of well-being. The ACS recommends that patients considering use of any alternative or complementary therapy discuss this with their health care team.
- resection
- surgery to remove part or all of an organ or other structure.
- chemotherapy
- (key-mo-THER-uh-pee) treatment with drugs to destroy cancer cells. Chemotherapy is often used with surgery or radiation to treat cancer when the cancer has spread, when it has come back (recurred), or when there is a strong chance that it could recur.
- cancer
- malignancy; a group of diseases typified by abnormal, generally out-of-control, cell growth.
- mesothelioma
- a tumor derived from mesothelial tissue, such as the peritoneum (lining the abdomen) or pleura (lining the lungs). More on mesothelioma.
- multimodality therapy
- an approach to therapy which utilizes a variety of treatments at once as opposed to following only one mode of treatment.
- extrapleural pneumonectomy
- (EPP) surgery to remove the pleura, diaphragm, pericardium, and entire lung involved with the tumor. You can view a web cast from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston of this procedure being done by Dr. David Sugarbaker: see the extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) web cast here.
- pemetrexed
- chemotheraputic agent that interferes with a crucial process that allows cancer cells to reproduce and spread. Specifically, pemetrexed stops the production of three enzymes that are required to feed the cancer cell. Often used in combination with cisplatin. Marketed under the name ALIMTA. See: Alimta.
