title: Secondline chemotherapy versus best supportive care in patient with malignant pleural mesothelioma: a retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mesothelioma is a rare neoplasm arising from mesothelial surfaces with the malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) as the most common form. Secondline chemotherapy in MPM is still controversial and in this study we evaluated whether it is superior to best supportive care.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 51 patients with MPM from Acibadem Kayseri Hospital, Kayseri Training and Research Hospital and Erciyes University were analyzed retrospectively. The patients treated with secondline chemotherapies (SLCT) were compared with those treated with best supportive care (BSC) for overall survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median overall survival (OS) for firstline chemotherapy?SLCT and firstline chemotherapy?BSC groups were 20.3 and 14.7 months respectively (p=0.079). After firstline chemotherapy the median OS for SLCT and BSC were 5.9 and 4.7 months (p=0.355).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although there was a trend for improvement in overall survival in patients treated with secondline chemotherapy, the difference was not statistically significant. Our results do not support the proposal that secondline chemotherapy could be effective in patients with MPM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Acibadem Kayseri Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey. doktorhasanmutlu@gmail.com
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mutlu
authors.forename: Abdullah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buyukcelik
authors.forename: Halit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karaca
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aksahin
authors.forename: Veli
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Berk
authors.forename: Tuncay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aslan
authors.forename: Abdulsamet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erden
authors.forename: Zeki
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Akca
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozkan
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; 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; D010166:Palliative Care; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D010984:Platinum / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D000068437:Pemetrexed; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D010984:Platinum; D006147:Guanine; D000093542:Gemcitabine