Whether for malignant mesothelioma or any of a number of other challenging cancers, immunotherapy is generating tremendous excitement among patients and physicians alike. Rather than killing or removing cancer cells, the approach leverages the body’s own immune system, enlisting it to attack tumor cells in a way that is both effective and largely non-toxic. Still, much remains to be learned about immunotherapy, including whether it is as effective in treating peritoneal mesothelioma as it is pleural mesothelioma. Researchers from MD Anderson recently concluded a real-world study that delivered encouraging conclusions.
MD Anderson Researchers Cite Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Effectiveness in Mesothelioma
While there have been several studies focused on the role of immunotherapy – and more specifically of immune checkpoint inhibitors – on pleural mesothelioma, less attention has been paid to peritoneal mesothelioma, a form of the rare disease in which tumors grow in the abdominal cavity. Though both types of mesothelioma are caused by exposure to asbestos, different treatment approaches have yielded different results.
To determine whether the immunotherapy drugs Yervoy and Opdivo which have already received FDA approval for the treatment of pleural mesothelioma would also benefit patients diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, MD Anderson researchers reviewed the records of 29 patients who had been treated at their center between 2016 and 2020. Their study looked at real-world outcomes, and therefore did not screen for particular demographic groups or criteria having to do with previous treatments.
Immunotherapy Has Positive Impact in Peritoneal Mesothelioma
The researchers found that peritoneal mesothelioma patients treated with immunotherapy realized significant benefits, with sixty-five percent having their tumors shrink or remain stable for a median period of 5.5 months and 68 percent alive a year after their treatment. Fourteen percent of patients did not see their tumors start to grow again for a full year.
Despite these positive findings, the researchers concluded that more research is needed, writing, “There is a critical need for dedicated trials and larger cohorts to define biomarkers of response or resistance, early referral to clinical trials, and novel combinatorial strategies to enhance responses and outcomes for patients.”
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, it is important that you stay up to date on the latest research. For more information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
