title: Effects of treatment regimens on survival in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we aimed to investigate the factors affecting the survival of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) according to their treatment regimens, including best supportive care (BSC), chemotherapy, surgical group and multimodality (MM) therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis was performed on clinical data and treatment outcomes of 400 patients registered in our hospital with MPM between January 1989 and April 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean age (p < 0.001), presence of asbestos exposure (p = 0.0014), presence of smoking history (p < 0.001), Karnofsky performance status (p < 0.001), histological subtype (p = 0.034) and stage (p < 0.001) variables were found to be significantly different among the four treatment regimens. Mean survival time of all patients was 12.32 months. Mean survival time 10.5 months for the BSC group, 15.7 for the surgical group, 16.02 for the chemotherapy group, and 26.55 for the MM group. There were significant differences in mean survival time among the four treatment regimens. In addition, a significant difference was found in survival time between the two chemotherapy groups (p = 0.032). Mean survival time for cisplatin + gemcitabine was found to be 14.49 months and for cisplatin + pemetrexed, 18.34 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The MM group had better survival rates than the other groups. The new chemotherapy combination, cisplatin + pemetrexed, can be helpful in improving survival time.
authors: Department of Chest Disease, Dicle University, Diyarbakir, Turkey. arahmanabakay@hotmail.com
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Abakay
authors: O
authors: O
authors: Abakay
authors: A C
authors: AC
authors: Tanrikulu
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Sezgi
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Sen
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Kaya
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kucukoner
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Kaplan
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Celik
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Senyigit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies