title: Chemotherapy management of malignant pleural mesothelioma: a phase II study comparing two popular chemotherapy regimens.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this prospective, phase II clinical study is to evaluate the activity of gemcitabine and cisplatin in comparison to pemetrexed and carboplatin in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients were recruited from May 2008 to May 2011. One group included 21 cases who received cisplatin and gemcitabine. The other group included 19 cases who received pemetrexed and carboplatin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Response is superior in the pemetrexed group (p = 0.041). The median follow-up was 18 months (range 6-30 months). Cumulative survival at 1.5 years was 57.8 % for the pemetrexed carboplatin group. For the gemcitabine cisplatin group, the cumulative survival proportion at 1.5 years was 41 % (p = 0.0599).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pemetrexed plus carboplatin are a step forward in the treatment of mesothelioma, the prognosis for these patients remains poor. Cheaper combinations as gemcitabine and cisplatin may be considered sufficient to treat cases with advanced mesothelioma.
authors: Department of Clinical Oncology, Cairo University Faculty of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt, cairo.oncology@gmail.com.
authors: E E
authors: EE
authors: Habib
authors: E S
authors: ES
authors: Fahmy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005971:Glutamates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006147:Guanine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000086002:Mesothelioma, Malignant; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D006147:Guanine; D016190:Carboplatin; D002945:Cisplatin; D000093542:Gemcitabine