When it comes to cancer treatment and outcomes, every day seems to bring new innovations and improvements. But according to a recently published study from a respected research cooperative of Spanish oncologists, patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma continue to face steep challenges and grim overall survival times.
Article Details Poor Outcomes for Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
In an article published in the July issue of the journal Lung Cancer, the Spanish Lung Cancer Group (GECP) reported on their recent investigation, whose goal was to describe the characteristics, treatment patterns and outcomes in Spanish mesothelioma patients. Their goal was to determine whether medical innovations have materially changed the prognosis for the disease.
The oncologists’ update and review followed 560 patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma between June 2008 and May 2013. Patient medical records were culled from the Epidemiologic Spanish Malignant Mesothelioma Database, which contains records indicating a wide range of information, including patient characteristics at time of diagnosis and the characteristics of their tumors. The database also contains records of the treatments that each patient received and the outcomes of that treatment.
Researchers Focus on Chemotherapy Outcomes for Mesothelioma Patients
Though the database includes details on all patient treatments, including surgeries, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, the researchers were particularly focused on those who had been treated with chemotherapy and what the outcomes were of the various types of chemotherapy treatment regimens.
The group’s research noted that the median age of the mesothelioma patients was 68 years old and that 71% were treated with chemotherapy. In most cases patients were provided the platinum-pemetrexed combination that continues to be favored globally, while 36% of total patients were treated surgically and 17% were treated with radiation therapy. While the overall group median survival was 13 months, those who received first-line chemotherapy had a median overall survival of 13.4 months and those who received maintenance chemotherapy showed a significant improvement, reaching 20.2 months median overall survival. Though this is a marked expansion of survival when compared to the group’s overall outcome, the research group concluded that mesothelioma patient survival in Spain remains poor.
Patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma are provided with numerous options for treatment in the face of this challenging disease. If you need information about the treatment choices available to you, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
