When people are diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, the most common treatment approach is the combination chemotherapy protocol of cisplatin and pemetrexed. Researchers from the University of Bern in Switzerland set out to investigate whether a schedule-dependent approach would increase mesothelioma cells’ sensitivity to capecitabine as it does in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). They found that the approach may benefit certain mesothelioma patients.
Mesothelioma Researchers Test Approach That Has Been Successful in Lung Cancer
Writing in the journal Nature, the mesothelioma researchers noted that previous studies have demonstrated that schedule-dependent administration of various treatment regimens can increase the efficacy of standard therapy in chemotherapy-resistant NSCLC cell lines. They set out to determine whether the same is true of malignant pleural mesothelioma and whether administering the gold-standard chemotherapy regimen in a schedule-dependent manner would increase sensitivity to the drug capecitabine.
The group tested whether standard chemotherapy could increase the expression of cytidine deaminase (CDA), a key enzyme involved in the adaptive stress response to chemotherapy, and which sensitizes cells to capecitabine treatment. They found that the CDA expression levels increased over time, leading them to conclude that delaying additional administration of treatment after the increase would enhance anticancer efficacy when compared to concomitant administration of standard chemotherapy.
Researchers Suggest Improved Mesothelioma Outcome with Schedule-Dependent Chemotherapy Dosing
In reviewing their results, the mesothelioma researchers reveal that treatment of pleural mesothelioma cells with chemotherapy led to a schedule-dependent increase in CDA expression that can be exploited by treatment with capecitabine. They also found that the gold standard chemotherapy treatment only inhibited tumor growth during the treatment phase and that tumors resumed growth at the experiment’s end, and that the same was true of treatment with capecitabine, but that a triple combination was effective, even after the treatment stopped.
The researchers write, “Importantly, standard chemotherapy combined with the delayed administration of capecitabine had the greatest efficacy compared to all the other regimens and did not cause toxicity.”
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, research like this leads to more effective use of the currently available treatment protocols. For information on other resources, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
