The Risk Of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a cancer of the mesothelioma, the protective layer that covers the lungs and it is usually associated with the exposure to asbestos. Recent studies have shown that the therapy combination with the chemotherapy is not helpful; it does not ensure the survival and it does not improve the quality of life.
Worldwide, the cancer continues to make more and more victims. Around the year 2005 there were almost 2,000 deaths recorded, and by the year 2013 it is estimated an increased mortality rates to 2200. Similar rates are common in the Western Europe and the United States. Because of the risk to exposure, the number of cases of mesothelioma patients will increase in the countries and regions where it is produced or large quantities of asbestos are imported, for example: Russia, China, Canada, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Zimbabwe, India and Thailand.
Options Of Treatment
There are several options for the treatment of the malignant mesothelioma the singular therapy or the palliative combined therapy ranging up to the aggressive multimodal therapy. The old age when the mesothelioma is usually diagnosed and the associated comorbidities (pulmonary fibrosis caused by the asbestos exposure, impaired cardiopulmonary function in smoker patients) limit the aggressive treatment options. The early diagnosis of the disease allows a greater number of therapeutic options.
In order to investigate more possibilities of treatment for MPM, the MS01 study was performed at the Medical Research Council (MRC), London, which included 409 participants suffering from MPM. Of these, 136 were selected to receive only ASC (active symptom control), a total of 137 were given ASC with the chemotherapy, which involved four sets of mitomycin, vinblastine, and cisplatin, one time at three weeks. The remaining 136 patients were given ASC, in combination with vinorelbine, The treatment consists of a vinorelbine injection once a week for twelve weeks. The patient tracking is done at 3-21 weeks after the treatment.
Finally, regarding the results, 96% of patients have not survived. 132 of them came from the ASC only group, 132 from ASC + chemotherapy group and 129 of ASC + vinorelbine. There was only a small benefit from such combination therapies, but not quite significant: the patients in the vinorelbine + ASC group showed an improved chance of survival.
The test results on the quality of life for the patients in each group, which included physical dysfunction, pain and short duration breathing, were similar.
Thus, the authors concluded that this form of therapy does not improve the patient’s life. “Adding the chemotherapy regimen to the therapy with ASC does not offer any significant benefit to improve the patient quality of life. In any case, the findings imply a future more detailed analysis of the vinorelbine because there are many issues still unclear about the benefits that a patient might enjoy with a proper treatment. ”
Dr Nicholas J Vogelzang, Nevada Cancer Institute, USA, added: “The patients with MPM who want to be treated should be informed about the new treatment options involving a combination of cisplatin and pretrexed. In addition, the cisplatin and the gemcitabine can be equally effective.
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