title: Current chemotherapeutic treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.
abstract: Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive malignancy which is almost always fatal; median survival is usually < 1 year. Most patients present with symptoms including pain, dyspnoea, pleural effusions and chest wall masses. Until recently, there has been no effective treatment which can improve symptoms and prolong survival. This article reviews recent developments in the treatment of mesothelioma, particularly advances in drug therapy and the use of the current most active drug combination: pemetrexed and cisplatin. Pemetrexed is a novel antifolate drug with multiple enzyme targets. The combination of pemetrexed and cisplatin demonstrated a survival advantage over cisplatin alone in patients with pleural mesothelioma, and can give symptomatic benefits. This combination has become the standard of care in mesothelioma treatment.
authors.affiliation: University of Western Australia, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Nowak
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Millward
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Bruce W S
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000639:trends; D005493:Folic Acid Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005971:Glutamates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005493:Folic Acid Antagonists; D005971:Glutamates; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D006147:Guanine; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine