This morning, an article appeared in a respected medical journal reporting on a complete response to the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab in a patient with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. The case study’s authors encourage the drug’s use, despite the lack of evidence to support the treatment.
Case Study Details Off-Brand Peritoneal Mesothelioma Treatment
The case study published in today’s Cureus details the treatment of a peritoneal mesothelioma patient seen at Hospital Espírito Santo de Évora in Évora, Portugal. The patient is a 59-year-old male who presented to the hospital in September of 2018. His symptoms included 7% weight loss over two months, abdominal pain and distention, and no known previous asbestos exposure.
Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma is extremely difficult to diagnose, and the patient went through multiple tests before being diagnosed at an advanced stage three months later following a second biopsy. He underwent six cycles of chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed, but a follow-up CT scan revealed disease progression.
Tumor Board Chooses Pembrolizumab Following Mesothelioma Progression
After discussing the progression of the patient’s mesothelioma, the hospital’s tumor board decided to initiate treatment with pembrolizumab. It obtained approval for this off-label treatment and the patient was dosed every three weeks in January 2020. The treatment was well tolerated, and four months later his MRI revealed stable disease. After one year of immunotherapy, an MRI showed partial response and that the patient was not a candidate for surgery. Immunotherapy was continued on an every-six-week basis and radiotherapy was deferred.
In 2021, follow-up MRI and PET-CT scans showed that the mesothelioma patient had experienced a complete response after 18 months of treatment. By November 2023, after almost four years of pembrolizumab treatment, the patient had been asymptomatic for two years. The physicians treating the patient note that more clinical trials are needed, but that they found that the drug was a reasonable option as a second-line treatment.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help you get the treatment you need. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
