Combining Ramucirumab and Nivolumab in Mesothelioma Treatment
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Combining Ramucirumab and Nivolumab in Mesothelioma Treatment

ByHolly Zink

In a recent study, scientists wanted to see if a medicine called ramucirumab could make another medicine, called nivolumab, work better for people with mesothelioma. They thought that using both of these medicines together might help more than using nivolumab alone. Breaking Down the Science Mesothelioma is a rare and serious type of cancer that affects a special lining in our bodies called the mesothelium. This lining covers our organs like the lungs and stomach. It is caused by breathing in tiny bits of a mineral called asbestos. It can take a long time for symptoms to show up, making it hard to catch early. To test how well ramucirumab and nivolumab work as a treatment, the scientists gathered a…

How Immunotherapy Transformed a Mesothelioma Patient’s Life
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How Immunotherapy Transformed a Mesothelioma Patient’s Life

ByHolly Zink

An elderly man went to the hospital for treatment for two different types of cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma and mesothelioma. His treatment with immunotherapy was successful and improved his outlook. Unraveling the Complexity of Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that grows in the lining of organs in the body. In this case, the patient had mesothelioma in his abdomen. This cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos. When a person has mesothelioma in their abdomen, the tumors can grow and spread to cover a large area. It can be difficult to diagnose because of its vague symptoms, like abdominal pain, bloating, and weight loss. And it is even harder to treat because it is often diagnosed at a…

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…

Immune Checkpoint Therapy for Mesothelioma
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Immune Checkpoint Therapy for Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A new study suggests that immune checkpoint therapy with nivolumab is a promising treatment for a specific type of mesothelioma. The study authors describe three cases of sarcomatoid mesothelioma being treated with nivolumab at Kyoto University Hospital in Japan. A Deadly Form of Mesothelioma There are three types of malignant pleural mesothelioma. They each respond differently to mesothelioma treatments. One of these types is sarcomatoid mesothelioma and it is the rarest type of mesothelioma. Sarcomatoid pleural mesothelioma cells are slender ovals with large or even multiple nuclei. Because these cells are spindle-shaped, this type of mesothelioma is sometimes called spindle-cell mesothelioma. Sarcomatoid mesothelioma is an especially deadly form of the disease. This type grows and spreads faster than the other…

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…

Nivolumab + Ipilimumab Provides Long-Term Survival Benefit in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
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Nivolumab + Ipilimumab Provides Long-Term Survival Benefit in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Nivolumab + ipilimumab continues to provide a long-term survival benefit in malignant pleural mesothelioma. A new report shows a 3-year follow-up in the CheckMate Clinical Trial. Long-term clinical benefits remained the same for all patient groups. Background on the Nivolumab + Ipilimumab Treatment Two years ago, the FDA approved the combination of nivolumab + ipilimumab. It is the first-line treatment for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. The CHECKMATE randomized multi-part trial investigated the effectiveness. The trial showed a significant improvement in patient survival. Today, this treatment combination improves patient survival rates over chemotherapy. Mesothelioma patients showed an improved survival using this line of treatment. A new report from the Annals of Oncology describes updated data with at least…

Relapsed Mesothelioma Patients Live Longer on Opdivo in Phase 3 Trial
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Relapsed Mesothelioma Patients Live Longer on Opdivo in Phase 3 Trial

ByAlex Strauss

A multi-center British study suggests that the cancer drug Opdivo (nivolumab) may be a solid second-line treatment option for relapsed mesothelioma patients.  The Phase-3 trial involved mesothelioma patients from 24 UK hospitals. All had an ECOG score of 0 or 1, meaning they were in reasonably good health overall.  All of the patients had first-line treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy. Then their cancer came back. There is no approved treatment for relapsed mesothelioma patients. So these patients enrolled in the nivolumab trial.  Although Opdivo is not a cure for mesothelioma, the results of the news trial show it could extend survival for the right patients.  How Does Opdivo Work? Nivolumab is sold under the brand name Opdivo. It is an immunotherapy…

Yervoy and Opdivo for Mesothelioma: Three Year Results Still Look Good
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Yervoy and Opdivo for Mesothelioma: Three Year Results Still Look Good

ByAlex Strauss

Three years after the last patients enrolled in the clinical trial of Yervoy and Opdivo for mesothelioma, survival results still look promising for this immunotherapy treatment.  Researchers presented an update of the CheckMate 743 trial at the recent virtual conference of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). The team found that more than 23% of patients on Yervoy and Opdivo for mesothelioma were still alive at three years. Only 15% of the chemotherapy group were still living.  Immunotherapy for Malignant Mesothelioma Alimta (pemetrexed) was the first drug to receive FDA approval for mesothelioma chemotherapy. The FDA approved it in 2004.  Before Alimta, patients had even fewer options that they do today. Most mesothelioma patients now start treatment with a…

Opdivo as Second-Line Treatment Option for Mesothelioma: Promising New Data

Opdivo as Second-Line Treatment Option for Mesothelioma: Promising New Data

ByAlex Strauss

A new study suggests that the cancer drug Opdivo could be an effective second-line treatment option for people with relapsed mesothelioma. Right now, people whose mesothelioma comes back after treatment do not have an approved second-line treatment option.  The news on Opdivo comes from the first ever placebo-controlled phase 3 trial of patients with relapsed mesothelioma. It shows that the drug significantly improved overall survival for these patients. It also increased the time it took for patients’ cancer to get worse. Details of the CONFIRM Trial The trial of this proposed second-line treatment option for mesothelioma was called CONFIRM. It involved 332 mesothelioma patients from 24 UK cancer centers. The patients already had at least one treatment. Two thirds of…

Study to Test Nivolumab and Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
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Study to Test Nivolumab and Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers in Germany are recruiting patients for a trial of nivolumab and chemotherapy for pleural mesothelioma patients who have had surgery. Nivolumab (Opdivo) is an immunotherapy drug similar to pembrolizumab (Keytruda). It blocks a protein that helps mesothelioma cells hide from the immune system. Nivolumab is most often used for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. The multicenter German study will test if a combination of nivolumab and chemotherapy can help keep tumors from growing back after mesothelioma surgery. Previous studies suggest that it has the potential to do so. How Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors Work Immune checkpoint inhibitors like nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and ipilimumab (Yervoy) are a major focus for mesothelioma researchers. Mesothelioma cells are notoriously tenacious. They often fail to…