|

A Step Forward in Treating Pleural Mesothelioma: The Pembrolizumab and Lenvatinib Combination

ByHolly Zink
A Step Forward in Treating Pleural Mesothelioma: The Pembrolizumab and Lenvatinib Combination

Pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that has been challenging to treat effectively. However, recent breakthroughs in medical research are shedding new light on potential treatment options. Researchers investigated the potential of a combination therapy involving pembrolizumab and lenvatinib.

Their findings were promising, with over 50% of patients experiencing tumor shrinkage. While this marks an important step forward, challenges such as side effects need to be carefully addressed in future research.

Uncovering Hope for Pleural Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs. It’s linked to exposure to a harmful substance called asbestos. Asbestos used to be used a lot in construction and other industries. Finding good treatments for this type of cancer is crucial in improving the lives of those affected.

Recently, scientists have been exploring new ways to treat pleural mesothelioma. One promising approach involves combining two drugs: pembrolizumab and lenvatinib. Studies in both laboratories and in real patients have shown that this combination works well at shrinking cancer tumors.

A group of researchers conducted a study on this combination at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. They focused on patients who tried platinum and pemetrexed but their cancer had continued to progress. These patients were generally in good health and able to carry out normal activities.

Pembrolizumab and Lenvatinib

In this study, 38 patients were selected based on specific criteria. They were then given pembrolizumab through an IV line every 3 weeks and lenvatinib by mouth once a day. This went on for up to 2 years, or until their cancer got worse, or they experienced severe side effects. The researchers closely monitored the patients to track their progress.

At the time of the analysis in January 2023, the researchers found some promising outcomes. Out of the 38 patients, over half showed signs of shrinking tumors. Another analysis showed a positive response in 45% of the patients. These results are a hopeful sign that the combination therapy could be effective in treating pleural mesothelioma.

However, it’s important to note that while the treatment showed promise, it also came with some side effects. Ten patients experienced serious side effects related to the treatment. The most common severe side effects included high blood pressure, loss of appetite, and low white blood cell levels.

This study marks an important step forward in finding better treatments for pleural mesothelioma. The combination of pembrolizumab and lenvatinib shows great potential, but it also comes with challenges. Further research is needed to fine-tune the dosage and to provide the high level of care and support necessary for this treatment.

Source

Douma LH, Lalezari F, van der Noort V, et al. Pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib in second-line and third-line patients with pleural mesothelioma (PEMMELA): a single-arm phase 2 study [published online ahead of print, 2023 Oct 13]. Lancet Oncol. 2023;S1470-2045(23)00446-1. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(23)00446-1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37844598/

Similar Posts

Doctors Describe "Concrete Therapeutic Approach" for Mesothelioma
| |

Doctors Describe "Concrete Therapeutic Approach" for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A team of medical researchers in Italy have achieved what they are calling “excellent” tumor control and survival results in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients using a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Caused by exposure to asbestos, mesothelioma typically spreads quickly across the lung-encasing membrane called the pleura. There is no known cure but treatments are improving. In the current prospective study, 20 malignant pleural mesothelioma patients underwent radical pleurectomy/decortication followed by high doses of radiation. After surgeons removed as much of the visible mesothelioma tumor and surrounding tissue as possible, patients received 50Gy of radiation to the effected side of their chest, delivered in 25 fractions. Regions of particular concern for mesothelioma regrowth got an extra radiation “boost” to…

Does Radiotherapy Reduce Mesothelioma Pain?
| |

Does Radiotherapy Reduce Mesothelioma Pain?

ByAlex Strauss

A new study says there is not enough evidence to support the use of radiotherapy for the treatment of pain associated with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland reviewed a range of past studies on mesothelioma pain and radiotherapy by searching databases that date back as far as 1974. To be eligible to be included in their review, the study had to focus on malignant pleural mesothelioma and radiotherapy given “with the intent of improving pain”. The study also had to report doses and fractionation of the radiotherapy and how the pain responded. In all, the researchers found eight studies on mesothelioma pain and radiotherapy that met the criteria. Two of the studies were prospective…

Radiotherapy for Mesothelioma: Better But Still Limited
| |

Radiotherapy for Mesothelioma: Better But Still Limited

ByAlex Strauss

A form of highly-targeted radiation therapy for mesothelioma is better than it used to be, but is still risky. That is the message of a recent article on intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) in Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Author Kenneth E. Rosenzweig, MD, a Radiation Oncologist with Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, reviewed recent studies on IMRT and mesothelioma. He concludes that, while the “troubling toxicity” associated with IMRT when it was first introduced has not been entirely eliminated, the fact that clinicians now have more experience with it is making a positive difference for mesothelioma patients. Before targeted therapies like IMRT were available, high-dose radiation was not usually a feasible option for mesothelioma since the irregular shape…

A Second-Line Option for Mesothelioma?
| |

A Second-Line Option for Mesothelioma?

ByAlex Strauss

Although survival was not significantly extended, the chemotherapy drug vinorelbine might be a treatment option for mesothelioma patients whose cancer has returned after first-line chemotherapy with pemetrexed. A new study on vinorelbine as a second-line treatment finds that the drug is “moderately active” in mesothelioma patients who were initially treated with pemetrexed-based chemotherapy. Pemetrexed (Alimta), along with a platinum-based drug like cisplatin, is the primary first-line drug therapy for mesothelioma. But vinorelbine is gaining attention as a possible option for mesothelioma, in part because it is available in a less expensive generic form. In “Vinorelbine in pemetrexed-pretreated patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma”, the Italian authors detail the results of their study on 59 patients with unresectable pleural mesothelioma.  These patients…

Repeat HIPEC Improves Mesothelioma Survival
| |

Repeat HIPEC Improves Mesothelioma Survival

ByAlex Strauss

If one cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC procedure for mesothelioma is good, subsequent treatments may be even better. That is the central message of research conducted at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida. The study’s aim was to assess overall survival among peritoneal mesothelioma patients who had not just one, but two or more rounds of heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) after cytoreductive surgery. The cytoreduction/HIPEC approach has become popular for peritoneal mesothelioma, a treatment-resistant cancer of abdominal membranes caused by asbestos. Cytoreductive surgery involves removing as much of the mesothelioma tumor as possible from the abdomen. Because the shape and spreading pattern of mesothelioma tumors make complete cytoreduction difficult, the surgery is often followed by a rinse with a heated solution…

Value of Mesothelioma Surgery Challenged for Healthy Patients
| |

Value of Mesothelioma Surgery Challenged for Healthy Patients

ByAlex Strauss

New research conducted in Italy and presented at the 15th World Conference on Lung Cancer in Sydney, Australia suggests that mesothelioma surgery – no matter what kind – may not offer a survival advantage over medical management for the healthiest of patients. Mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive malignancy that is highly resistant to standard cancer treatments. The two types of mesothelioma surgery considered to be options for people with resectable cancer are pleurectomy decortication (P/D) or extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP). While EPP is more radical than P/D because it involves removing a lung, both carry a heavy risk of complications and, according to the Italian researchers, may not be of value for certain patients. The study reviewed data from 1,365…