Patients diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma go through a series of tests to determine the best course of action and path forward. For those whose tumors are deemed unresectable – or unable to be removed surgically – treatment options are limited to medical and radiation therapies. A recent study examined the ability of both FDG-PET/CT and CT to evaluate and compare their findings following patients’ treatment with nivolumab plus ipilimumab. The researchers found that both protocols were accurate in assessing the immunotherapy treatment response.
Study Compares Assessment of Immunotherapy Response in Mesothelioma Patients
Writing in the journal Oncotarget, researchers from Hyogo Medical University and Kindai University Faculty of Medicine in Japan compared FDG-PET/CT and CT for evaluation of tumor response to nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination therapy and prognosis prediction in patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma.
FDG-PET/CT and CT are both diagnostic technologies used to assess tumors, but they do so in very different ways. While CT focuses on anatomical detail, providing detailed, high-resolution images of structures within the body, FDG-PET/CT combines metabolic and anatomical information, offering insights into the structure, function, and activity of tissues and organs. Knowing whether one offers more accurate information about the impact of immunotherapy on mesothelioma tumors is invaluable for physicians treating the rare and fatal form of cancer.
Researchers Assess Information Gathered from Twenty-Six Mesothelioma Patients
The researchers compared FDG-PET/CT and CT scan results for twenty-six mesothelioma patients who had been diagnosed with unresectable disease and who received nivolumab plus ipilimumab combination therapy. Though there was some difference between the results of the two, the difference was minimal. Both modalities revealed that patients who had been assessed as being progression-free had longer progression-free survival and overall survival than patients assessed as having progressive disease.
The researchers concluded, “For unresectable MPM patient examinations, FDG-PET and CT provide accurate findings for evaluating tumor response and also prognosis prediction following first-line nivolumab plus ipilimumab immunotherapy (approximately three cycles.)”
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, ongoing research provides the greatest hope for the best possible outcomes. If you need information or resources in the face of this challenging disease, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
