A new study has confirmed that Hyperthermic Intrathoracic Chemotherapy represents a promising option for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. The protocol had previously proven effective in treating other malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer, but its use in treating the asbestos-related cancer had not been assessed. The research confirms that it provides significant improvement in disease-free intervals and overall survival, particularly when higher doses of chemotherapy are delivered.
Heated Chemotherapy Addresses Microscopic Mesothelioma Cells
Patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma frequently undergo cytoreductive surgery to remove their cancerous tumors, but there is always the risk microscopic cells left behind will lead to remission and metastases. Physicians use other modalities, including chemotherapy and radiation, to kill these cells. Patients undergoing surgery for the peritoneal form of mesothelioma are generally treated with heated chemotherapy after their tumors are removed, but a similar procedure used to treat tumors in the thoracic cavity has not yet gained general acceptance for the pleural form of the disease. A group of researchers from various departments at the University Hospitals of Leicester in the United Kingdom conducted a retrospective study to assess the effectiveness of hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC) in mesothelioma.
Retrospective Study Includes 598 Mesothelioma Patients
Though HITHOC’s effectiveness in treating other thoracic cancers had already been known to be effective, its use in treating mesothelioma had never been formally assessed. The systematic review of 15 studies that included a total of 598 patients showed that HITHOC’s use was associated with median overall survival and disease-free intervals ranging from 11 to 75 months and 7.2 to 57 months respectively.
The mesothelioma patients included in the study who did not undergo HITHOC had far different results, with a 5 to 36 months overall survival time and 12.1 to 21 months disease free survival. Notably the patients who showed the greatest improvement received higher doses of the chemotherapy medication. Though there are risks, the study concluded that cytoreductive surgery with HITHOC is both safe and feasible. It also indicated that the optimal chemotherapy regimen remains to be determined.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, there is great hope in the development of new treatment protocols. For more information on this and other resources, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net at 1-800-692-8608.
