Patients diagnosed with mesothelioma may be confused by the number of tests their oncologist orders. While they may think of the disease in a generic way, there are significant differences in treatment – and treatment effectiveness – based on where in the body their disease appears, and the type of cells that make up their tumors. A recent study has revealed that tumors made up of epithelioid cells will respond better to chemotherapy than those of other cell types.
Mesothelioma Tumors Have Different Cell Subtypes
Malignant mesothelioma strikes different parts of the body, and the tumors that are formed can be made up of different types of cells. The most common form of the asbestos-related disease is called pleural mesothelioma and it occurs in the lining of the cavity surrounding the lungs, while peritoneal mesothelioma forms in the lining surrounding organs in the abdomen and pericardial mesothelioma tumors form in the lining of the cavity surrounding the heart.
No matter where they form, mesothelioma tumors are made up of cells that may take different shapes. The most common is the epithelioid cell type, followed by sarcomatoid cell type. Biphasic tumors contain both cell types. It has long been known that patients whose tumors are made up of the epithelioid type have longer survival times. Now a study conducted by physicians at the Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron in Barcelona may explain why.
Chemotherapy’s Impact is Greater for Epithelioid Mesothelioma Cells than Other Cell Types
Writing in the journal Nature, physicians who reviewed the records from 189 patients treated for pleural mesothelioma between 2002 and 2020 revealed that better responses had been realized when patients with epithelioid tumors were treated with chemotherapy than in those with other cell types. Where epithelioid patients treated with chemotherapy had median progression-free survival of 4.8 months, those identified as being of other cell types had progression-free survival of 3.6 months.
Lead study author Dr. Susana Cedres indicated that overall survival was impacted as well, writing, “Median OS [overall survival] of epithelioid patients treated with first-line chemotherapy was 26.7 months versus 15.0 months in non-epithelioid patients. In our series, patients with non-epithelioid tumors presented worse prognosis.”
The more is known about the rare, asbestos-related disease, the more effective future treatment can be. If you need access to resources regarding treatment or other options, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
