Immunotherapy as Effective Second-Line Treatment for Mesothelioma
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Immunotherapy as Effective Second-Line Treatment for Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A study from Taiwan has identified an effective second-line treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma. When a patient is diagnosed with mesothelioma and begins treatment, the first treatment is called the “first-line treatment.” If that treatment does not work or stops working, a “second-line treatment” is given to the patient. For mesothelioma, treatment usually consists of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The exact treatment plan will depend on many factors. Doctors will consider the type of mesothelioma, the condition of the patient, and how much the cancer has spread. A common first-line treatment for mesothelioma patients is chemotherapy with drugs called pemetrexed and cisplatin. When this treatment works properly, it stops cancer cells from growing and multiplying. It is for patients whose…

Drug Combo Nivolumab plus ipilimumab Has Best Survival Rates in Relapsed Mesothelioma
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Drug Combo Nivolumab plus ipilimumab Has Best Survival Rates in Relapsed Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer with limited therapeutic options. Pemetrexed plus platinum is often the first treatment option that clinicians turn to. There are now several options for second treatment therapy. This is useful in patients with relapsed mesothelioma. Yet some of these treatment therapies remain controversial. Several drugs were recently introduced to treat relapsed mesothelioma. A new study conducted a meta-analysis to check the efficacy of these drugs. After Chemotherapy, What Comes Next? Nivolumab alone or nivolumab plus ipilimumab provided significantly longer patient survival. In fact, treatment with nivolumab plus ipilimumab was found to have the best survival rates. Other treatments had a good survival rate compared with a placebo. These other treatments included tremelimumab, vorinostat, and chemotherapy…

The First FDA-Approved Mesothelioma Drug in 15 Years
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The First FDA-Approved Mesothelioma Drug in 15 Years

ByHolly Zink

On October 2, 2020, the first FDA-approved mesothelioma drug in 15 years hit the market. They approved a new combination of drugs for mesothelioma. The combination of nivolumab with ipilimumab is now considered the first-line treatment. It is the go-to for adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. The FDA based approval on results from an open-label clinical trial. The results of a new study show outcomes of Mesothelioma patients over the last 2 years. This often was often six cycles of chemotherapy. Patient survival using this new combination of drugs was an average of 18.1 months. This was an increase from 14.1 months for patients who only received chemotherapy. More clinical pharmacology data also supported an alternative dosing regimen….