title: A phase II EORTC study of temozolomide in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-tumour activity of temozolomide in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. 27 chemotherapy-naïve patients with histologically-proven malignant mesothelioma were treated with temozolomide 200 mg/m2/day, given orally on days 1-5 of each 28-day cycle. Therapy continued up to 10 cycles unless disease progression or excessive toxicity mandated discontinuation. Toxicity, symptom improvement and pain intensity were regularly assessed. With a median relative dose intensity of 97%, toxicity was moderate with grade 3 or more nausea, vomiting, thrombocytopenia, leucocytopenia, neutropenia, febrile leucocytopenia, arthralgia, infection and fever with infection occurring in 13, 13, 10, 3, 7 and 3% of patients for the remaining events, respectively. Overall, 1 objective response was observed (response rate 4%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.1-19). Median survival was 8.2 months. Symptom assessment showed no improvement and an increase of pain was observed during the study. Thus, oral temozolomide is an inactive agent in malignant mesothelioma.
authors.affiliation: Erasmus MC-Department of Pulmonology, PO Box 5201, NL-3008 AE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. vanmeerbeeck@svlo.azr.nl
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: van Meerbeeck
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Debruyne
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van Klaveren
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Galdermans
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lentz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Manegold
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giaccone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D000077204:Temozolomide; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D003606:Dacarbazine; D000077204:Temozolomide