Chemotherapy is a group of toxic drugs that kill cells (mesothelioma, other cancers, and healthy cells) by damaging their DNA. Chemotherapy is a cytotoxic therapy, meaning it kills cells. Chemo drugs target rapidly growing cancer cells, but they can also affect healthy cells that grow rapidly such as blood cells. The effect of these drugs on both cancer and normal cells often causes chemo side effects.
Alimta (Pemetrexed) and Cisplatin
As of this writing, the only FDA approved chemotherapy for mesothelioma is a combination of Alimta (pemetrexed) and cisplatin. In February 2004, the Food and Drug Administration approved pemetrexed for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma in combination with cisplatin for patients whose disease is either inoperable or who are not otherwise candidates for curative surgery. Patients who take this chemo regimen are often prescribed folic acid and vitamin B12 supplement to help reduce side effects from the chemotherpay. Patients are usually prescribed corticosteroids to reduce the risk of skin rashes as well.
The recommended dose of pemetrexed is 500 mg/m administered as an intravenous infusion over 10 minutes on day 1 of each 21-day cycle together with cisplatin at a dose of 75 mg/m infused over 2 hours beginning 30 minutes after the pemetrexed infusion.
The Clinical Trial that Approved Alimta (Pemetrexed) and Cisplatin
There was one key clinical trial that led to the FDA approval of this regimen for mesothelioma. Two hundred twenty-six pleural mesothelioma patients were randomized to receive pemetrexed and cisplatin, while 222 patients were randomized to receive cisplatin alone. The primary study end point was survival. Median survival times were 12.1 months for the pemetrexed plus cisplatin treatment group and 9.3 months for the cisplatin alone group.
Median time to progression (regrowth of tumor) was longer in the pemetrexed/cisplatin arm of the study, 5.7 months versus 3.9 months. This means that the mesothelioma patients who received both drugs had their tumors return a median of 1.8 months longer versus those who only got one drug.
Like most chemo drugs, pemetrexed kills blood cells so the most common adverse events were neutropenia, fatigue, leukopenia, nausea, dyspnea, and vomiting.
On February 4, 2004, pemetrexed was approved by the FDA in combination with cisplatin for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma whose disease is inoperable or who are otherwise not candidates for curative surgery.
Related Posts
New Combination Chemotherapy Drug for Mesothelioma-A recent study has found that a new drug for mesothelioma chemotherapy could improve treatment outcomes. The new drug is called abemaciclib. It works by blocking cancer cells from multiplying within the body. This helps to stop tumors from growing and spreading. The researchers in this study used cell samples from mesothelioma patients to test the drug. Their study found that adding abemaciclib to the standard chemotherapy treatment helped to stop the growth of mesothelioma cancer cells. Common Treatment Options Mesothelioma is an extremely rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It affects the membranes around organs like the lungs and abdominal cavity. It takes a long time for symptoms to appear. By then, the cancer has usually become difficult … Continue reading New Combination Chemotherapy Drug for Mesothelioma»
A 10-Year Study Confirms Longer Survival with Multimodal Therapy-Multimodal therapy may give patients the best odds of surviving mesothelioma. Multimodal therapy often includes surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. A new article in the Journal of Chest Surgery detail the results of a new analysis of mesothelioma survival. Many Mesothelioma Therapies Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that rarely responds to a single cancer therapy. Malignant mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. Usually, that happens in the workplace. Because mesothelioma is such a difficult cancer to treat, doctors often take a multi-faceted approach. This includes combining surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Yet even when combined, these therapies achieve only minimal success. And patients often face a grim prognosis. The 5-year survival rate of patients with mesothelioma … Continue reading A 10-Year Study Confirms Longer Survival with Multimodal Therapy»
Localized Mesothelioma Successfully Treated with Chemotherapy and Surgery-A patient with a rare, localized malignant pleural mesothelioma has been successfully treated. The patient received chemotherapy and surgery and has been disease-free for 12 months. Many believe that a localized form of pleural mesothelioma might have a better survival outlook. This is compared with patients who have the more common, diffuse variety. This latest report comes from a Japanese team of thoracic surgeons. Local vs. Diffuse Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer affecting an estimated 2,500 Americans annually. All forms of mesothelioma have been linked to asbestos exposure. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of malignant mesothelioma. Most pleural mesothelioma patients have a type of cancer that tends to spread quickly. It spreds across the thin membrane … Continue reading Localized Mesothelioma Successfully Treated with Chemotherapy and Surgery»
Easing the Painful Symptoms of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma-Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive and rare cancer. There is new hope for reducing the painful symptoms of malignant pleural mesothelioma. A new study in BMC Cancer looked at treatments and the symptom burden of malignant pleural mesothelioma in Europe. The symptoms of malignant pleural mesothelioma are very hard. But there are treatments available to improve quality of life. New data proves that chemotherapy eases mesothelioma symptoms. And it is most likely to improve and maintain health-related quality of life. The Long Journey of Mesothelioma Mesothelioma is the asbestos-caused cancer. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma. It accounts for over 90,000 deaths per year globally. It takes a very long time to diagnose mesothelioma. Usually, … Continue reading Easing the Painful Symptoms of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma»
Treatment Protocol of an 8-Year Survivor of Mesothelioma-A new article in Scholars Journal of Medical Case Reports outlines the treatment protocol of an 8-year survivor of mesothelioma. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is difficult to treat. This aggressive cancer is caused by asbestos exposure and is resistant to most standard cancer therapies, including radiotherapy. Many people diagnosed with mesothelioma die within a few months to a year. Paul Kraus is considered the longest documented survivor of mesothelioma in the world. He was diagnosed in 1997 and was given little hope of survival. Not willing to give up, he worked with a team of doctors to create his own tailored treatment protocol. This protocol included dramatic lifestyle changes, experimental therapies, dietary changes, mind-body medicine, and other modalities. Paul was fortunate. … Continue reading Treatment Protocol of an 8-Year Survivor of Mesothelioma»
Second Treatment Course May Increase Mesothelioma Patient Survival-Oncologists report that a second treatment course may be a good option for some mesothelioma patients. Almost all mesothelioma patients experience progression after the first treatment. Recommendations for a second treatment are still unclear. There is very limited information available on second and repeat treatments. Pemetrexed combined with platinum-based chemotherapy is a standard first treatment for mesothelioma. A report in BMC Cancer says that a repeat treatment may be good for eligible patients. In this study, patients who received a second treatment of chemotherapy survived longer. Understanding Second Treatments or Retreatments Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer linked to asbestos exposure. There have been several recent treatment advances. But the mesothelioma prognosis is still poor with an average … Continue reading Second Treatment Course May Increase Mesothelioma Patient Survival»
Predicting How a Patient Will Respond to Mesothelioma Treatment-Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer. Early diagnosis is challenging. Treatments are the first clinical option in the advanced disease stage. A doctor’s initial clinical response says a lot about the patient’s prognosis. It may even represent a useful way to identify patients with a better long-term outcome. A new Italian study from the Journal of Clinical Medicine looks at this possibility. First Mesothelioma Treatment Response Options Scientists looked at the initial treatment response in 46 mesothelioma patients who had pleural mesothelioma. None of these patients had surgery as an option because their tumors were considered inoperable. The doctor’s initial treatment response included a CT scan and clinical examination. This examination was usually after 2–3 cycles of drug therapy. … Continue reading Predicting How a Patient Will Respond to Mesothelioma Treatment»
First-Line Chemotherapy versus Immunotherapy versus Maintenance Therapy-A recent study compared mesothelioma patients’ survival by physician’s choice of treatment. Is first-line chemotherapy the best choice? Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that affects older adults. Mesothelioma patients often have other comorbidities making real-world treatment decisions challenging. The first was by choice of first-line chemotherapy. The second was the physician’s choice of second-line chemotherapy versus immunotherapy. And the third was by the physician’s choice of use of maintenance therapy. Physician’s Choice of First-Line Chemotherapy Drugs This is the largest real-world study of U.S. patients diagnosed with mesothelioma. Scientists analyzed physicians’ choice of first-line chemotherapy, second-line therapy, and maintenance therapy. In the first-line chemotherapy analysis, there was no significant difference in patient survival. As of this writing, the only … Continue reading First-Line Chemotherapy versus Immunotherapy versus Maintenance Therapy»
Nivolumab + Ipilimumab Provides Long-Term Survival Benefit in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma-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 … Continue reading Nivolumab + Ipilimumab Provides Long-Term Survival Benefit in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma»
New Artificial Intelligence Tool Measures Mesothelioma Tumors-A new artificial intelligence tool can measure mesothelioma tumors without any human input. Automated mesothelioma tumor measurement is now possible. The artificial intelligence algorithm performed well. There were 266 malignant pleural mesothelioma tumors analyzed. This is the largest study of its kind performed in mesothelioma. And this is the first description of an automated artificial intelligence tool. Inconsistent Mesothelioma Measurement During Clinical Assessment In malignant pleural mesothelioma, complex tumors result in inconsistent clinical assessment. Promising new methods need practical computer automation methods. A new publication showed an automated tool for this purpose. This study compared a new artificial intelligence tool with human standard clinical assessment. This study looked at mesothelioma patients treated with chemotherapy. Evaluating How Well the New Tool … Continue reading New Artificial Intelligence Tool Measures Mesothelioma Tumors»
“My Name is Paul Kraus and I Have Survived Mesothelioma for Over 20 Years.”
In 1997 I was diagnosed with mesothelioma. The doctors gave me just a few short months to live...
But here I am, 20 years later, alive and well.
I wrote a book explaining how I became the longest living mesothelioma survivor in the world.
Today, I'd like to give you a copy for free because I want more people to survive this disease.
All you have to do is click the button below now. You will receive the book within 72 hours.