title: A retrospective study of chemotherapy with and without pemetrexed in malignant pleural mesothelioma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current standard first-line chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is pemetrexed and cisplatin. However, other regimens, with or without a platinum agent, are reported to be effective in the treatment of MPM.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who were diagnosed with MPM and treated with chemotherapy between January 1999 and June 2010 at the Osaka Prefectural Medical Center for Respiratory and Allergic Diseases were studied, and the outcomes of these patients were retrospectively analyzed in relation to therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 48 patients with MPM (42 men and 6 women) treated with chemotherapy were included in the current analysis. The median survival time (MST) and one-year survival rate in the pemetrexed-containing group were 541 days and 63.2%, respectively. The MST and one-year survival rate in the non-pemetrexed group were 516 days and 66.7%, respectively. Overall survival did not differ significantly with respect to the pemetrexed-containing regimen.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The superiority of pemetrexed-containing regimens is equivocal. Non-pemetrexed-containing regimens may be potent alternatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Malignancy, Osaka Prefectural Medical Center for Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, 3-7-1 Habikino Habikino-shi, Osaka, 583-8588 Japan. puer_aeternus_0308@goo.jp
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Higashiguchi
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirashima
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Sho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goya
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Motohiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamiya
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morishita
authors.forename: Teppei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsumori
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawase
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005971:Glutamates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006147:Guanine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D006147:Guanine; D002945:Cisplatin