When people are diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, they are confronted with challenging statistics. The asbestos-related condition has a five-year survival rate of less than 10% and is always considered terminal. Facing these stark realities, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Duke University are collaborating on a new clinical trial: They are testing whether surgery with immunotherapy or surgery with chemotherapy provides better patient outcomes.
Researchers Seek Answer to Which Therapy Offers Longest Mesothelioma Survival
To date, researchers have found that mesothelioma patients realize the longest survival when their treatment combines surgery with chemotherapy. But the advent of immunotherapy, which has demonstrated 23% survival after three years when administered alone, has raised questions about whether it would further extend survival when combined with surgery.
To find the answer to this question, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Texas and Duke University in North Carolina are conducting a clinical trial that will give 23 mesothelioma patients two immunotherapy drugs prior to surgery and another 23 patients given two chemotherapy drugs prior to surgery. Participants will be evaluated prior to enrollment, prior to surgery, and in continuous follow-up to gauge outcomes.
Noted Mesothelioma Researchers Leading Clinical Trial
The clinical trial is being co-led by noted mesothelioma physicians and researchers Dr. R. Taylor Ripley, Dr. Jeff Clarke, and Dr. David Harpole. Dr. Ripley is an associate professor of surgery in the Division of Thoracic Surgery and a member of the Dan L. Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor, While Dr. Clarke and Dr. Harpole are with Duke.
The study is currently recruiting mesothelioma patients, Dr. Ripley says, “We will determine disease stage and make sure they’re physiologically strong enough for treatment. For patients who have disease that can be removed by surgery, we will randomize them to one of the two arms – either immunotherapy with two drugs, or immunotherapy with two chemotherapy agents. They will receive three cycles of each, then get reevaluated for surgery. They will then continue immunotherapy after surgery for one year.:
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help you connect with this clinical trial and others. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
