Effective chemotherapy based on a chemosensitivity test for malignant pleural mesothelioma
Saturday, November 8th, 2008.
Annals of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2008 Oct;14(5):319-21. [Link]
Maniwa Y, Yoshimura M, Takata M, Nishimura Y, Ohno Y.
Divisions of Thoracic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
Abstract
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive and fatal tumor of the pleura and its incidence has been increasing as a result of the widespread use of asbestos worldwide. Numerous chemotherapeutic agents have been tested in many clinical trials, but the response rate does not exceed 20% for most of the investigated regimens. Here we report a case of MPM in which the chemotherapy based on the chemosensitivity test was very effective on palliation with stable disease for a long time.
Keywords: chemosensitivity test, chemotherapy, malignant pleural mesothelioma
Glossary
- pleura
- (pler-uh) the membrane around the lungs and lining of the chest cavity. (Pleural mesothelioma.)
- 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.
- tumor
- an abnormal lump or mass of tissue. Tumors can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
- mesothelioma
- a tumor derived from mesothelial tissue, such as the peritoneum (lining the abdomen) or pleura (lining the lungs). More on mesothelioma.
