title: A pathological complete response after preoperative chemotherapy with carboplatin and pemetrexed in malignant pleural mesothelioma: A case report.
abstract: Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive tumour with poor prognosis and short duration of response probably due to the high chemo-refractoriness. Multimodality treatment based on preoperative chemotherapy, surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy seems to be a feasible and effective therapeutic option in selected patients.We report on a case of pathological complete response in a patient affected by malignant pleural mesothelioma who was treated with four cycles of preoperative chemotherapy based on carboplatin plus pemetrexed followed by parietal pleurectomy and lung decortication. Carboplatin plus pemetrexed was a well tolerated regimen without grade 3-4 haematological toxicity, and this confirm the feasibility of such a treatment as an alternative to the current golden standard based on cisplatin plus pemetrexed.Complete resection allows the pathologist to better describe biological markers of mesothelioma cells, in order to select patients with different treatment outcome and prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Second Medical Oncology Unit, Istituto Oncologico Veneto, Via Gattamelata 64, Padova 35128, Italy;
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pasello
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Altavilla
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonanno
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.forename: Adolfo Gino
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Favaretto