Chemotherapy extends life in pleural mesothelioma
For patients with the drug so far as little as a controllable current malignant pleural mesothelioma, there is now a treatment option. Studies have shown that the antifolate pemetrexed in combination with cisplatin can prolong the survival of these patients.
Pemetrexed (Alimta ®) was approved in September for the indication for pleural mesothelioma and second-line chemotherapy in advanced cancer. It is the first drug that has an approval in Europe for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
In a large Phase III trial survived the patients who received pemetrexed and cisplatin had an average of twelve months. Untreated patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma usually die within months after diagnosis. Just over half the patients treated with pemetrexed and cisplatin was, after a year still alive. Of the patients in the control group who received only cisplatin, at that time lived only 38 percent.
“In combination with cisplatin, pemetrexed has become the standard for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma”, said Professor Christian Manegold of Heidelberg University oncologist at the European Congress in Vienna. could the first time, patients with a disease, its abundance in the western world because of its association with a 20 to 40 years back lying to asbestos grow strongly for several years, will be offered chemotherapy.
Manegold highlighted the good tolerability of pemetrexed treatment. The substance, which is administered once every three weeks along with vitamin B12 and folic acid come, the ideal of a quality of life only slightly debilitating chemotherapy very near, Manegold at the event supported by the company Lilly
Tags: Antifolate Pemetrexed, chemotherapy, Control group, Folic Acid, Pleural Mesothelioma, vitamin B12
