Development and validation of prognostic nomogram for malignant pleural mesothelioma / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To development the prognostic nomogram for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Methods: Two hundred and ten patients pathologically confirmed as MPM were enrolled in this retrospective study from 2007 to 2020 in the People's Hospital of Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, the First and Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, and divided into training (n=112) and test (n=98) sets according to the admission time. The observation factors included demography, symptoms, history, clinical score and stage, blood cell and biochemistry, tumor markers, pathology and treatment. The Cox proportional risk model was used to analyze the prognostic factors of 112 patients in the training set. According to the results of multivariate Cox regression analysis, the prognostic prediction nomogram was established. C-Index and calibration curve were used to evaluate the model's discrimination and consistency in raining and test sets, respectively. Patients were stratified according to the median risk score of nomogram in the training set. Log rank test was performed to compare the survival differences between the high and low risk groups in the two sets. Results: The median overall survival (OS) of 210 MPM patients was 384 days (IQR=472 days), and the 6-month, 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rates were 75.7%, 52.6%, 19.7%, and 13.0%, respectively. Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that residence (HR=2.127, 95% CI: 1.154-3.920), serum albumin (HR=1.583, 95% CI: 1.017-2.464), clinical stage (stage Ⅳ: HR=3.073, 95% CI: 1.366-6.910) and the chemotherapy (HR=0.476, 95% CI: 0.292-0.777) were independent prognostic factors for MPM patients. The C-index of the nomogram established based on the results of Cox multivariate regression analysis in the training and test sets were 0.662 and 0.613, respectively. Calibration curves for both the training and test sets showed moderate consistency between the predicted and actual survival probabilities of MPM patients at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. The low-risk group had better outcomes than the high-risk group in both training (P=0.001) and test (P=0.003) sets. Conclusion: The survival prediction nomogram established based on routine clinical indicators of MPM patients provides a reliable tool for prognostic prediction and risk stratification.

Advances in Immunotherapy for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma / 中国肺癌杂志

Patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) usually present with poor prognosis and short survival period, and there has been a lack of effective treatment options for a long time. Chemotherapy has limited improvement in the clinical outcome of advanced patients (the median survival is less than one year), and it is difficult to find suitable targets for targeted therapy. Recent in-depth research on immunotherapy has changed the treatment pattern of MPM. Especially, the dual immunotherapy regimen significantly improved the survival outcome of patients across subgroups and prolonged the survival time of MPM patients. Therefore, it has been approved for unresectable MPM as first-line treatment for patients. The exploration of other mono or combo immunotherapy regimens in the first and second-line settings of MPM is also underway. How to identify the best beneficial population of each regimen through predictive biomarkers is also a hot spot for researchers. This article will focus on the most up-to-date progress of MPM epidemiology, histological characteristics, pathogenesis, treatment patterns and the advances of immunotherapy in the disease.
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Analysis of the Efficacy of Pemetrexed Maintenance Therapy in Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a highly aggressive disease arising from pleural mesothelial cells. Advanced pleural mesothelioma has a poor prognosis, with a median survival of no more than 15 months. First line standard chemotherapy regimen recommended is Pemetrexed based chemotherapy regimen, with or without bevacizumab. There is no consensus on whether patients who have received first-line standard chemotherapy can benefit from pemetrexed maintenance chemotherapy. The study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed maintenance therapy (PMT) after treatment with a pemetrexed and platinum regimen for patients with MPM.@*METHODS@#A total of 40 MPM patients were collected from Cancer Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2013 to January 2018, eligible patients were unresectable MPM, without disease progression following 4 to 6 cycles of pemetrexed and platinum, including pemetrexed maintenance therapy group (22 cases) and observation group (18 cases). The last follow-up was conducted in January 2020. The primary endpoint were progression free survival (PFS), and the secondary end points were overall survival (OS), the efficacy, adverse reactions of PMT.@*RESULTS@#The median PFS in the PMT arm was longer than that in the observation arm (8.5 mon vs 3 mon, P=0.008), but there was no significant difference in median OS (26.4 mon vs 15.7 mon, P=0.177). Objective response rate (ORR) of two group were 22.7% and 0%, respectively. The grade 3-4 toxicity in PMT group included grade 4 neutropenia in 1 patient (4.5%), grade 3 neutropenia in 1 patient (4.5%), grade 4 anemia in 1 patient (4.5%) and grade 3 nausea and anorexia in 1 patient (4.5%).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Pemetrexed maintenance therapy following initial pemetrexed and platinum chemotherapy improve PFS in patients with MPM, and is well tolerated.

Dilemma in Diagnosing Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma with Atypical Clinical Presentation and Imaging Findings : Recurrent Chylothorax, Mediastinal Lymphadenopathies and Pulmonary Embolism

@#Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare malignant tumor affecting the mesothelium. It commonly manifests as pleural thickening on contrast enhanced CT (CECT) thorax. We reported a case of a young lady who presented with respiratory symptoms and was initially treated as pneumonia. However, she had recurrent episodes of chylothorax with progressive internal jugular vein (IJV), brachiocephalic vein and superior vena cava (SVC) thrombosis leading to pulmonary embolism, associated with extensive mediastinal and supracalvicular lymphadenopathies. There are no evidence of pleural thickening in the initial investigations. Our case highlighted that MPM must remain in the differential diagnosis for these presentations, albeit rare.

Research Progress of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma / 中国肺癌杂志

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a malignant tumor with strong invasiveness, low survival rate and lack of effective treatment options. As the only first-line treatment plan for the advanced MPM, combination of pemetrexed and cisplatin chemotherapy have been existing since the last 20 years. Immunotherapy has long been considered as a potential treatment plan for MPM, mainly including immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), immunotoxin therapy, anti-cancer vaccine and adoptive T-cell therapy. This review focuses on summarizing the current research status of immune checkpoint inhibitors in MPM, discusses the effect of tumor heterogeneity on ICIs treatment, and describes that the biomarker-oriented immunotherapy is a new vision for the realization of individualized treatment of MPM.
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Screening and identifying genes associated with malignant pleural mesothelioma based on public database / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To explore the related signaling pathways, biomarkers and prognostic genes of malignant pleural mesothelioma(MPM) based on the gene chip and second-generation sequencing datasets in public database by bioinformatics-related method. METHODS: MPM microarray expression datasets GSE51024 and GSE2549, with 82 and 49 MPM patients, respectively, were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The RNA sequencing data of 86 MPM patients were downloaded from the The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA). The weighted gene co-expression network analysis(WGCNA) and differentially expressed genes(DEGs) screening were used to screen and identify hub genes in the GSE51024 dataset by RStudio 4.0 software. The gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA) was used to explore relevant signaling pathways. Finally, a total of 135 MPM gene expression data from GSE2549 dataset and TCGA database were used to verify the hub genes. RESULTS: The green key gene module identified by the WGCNA was highly correlated with MPM, with a correlation coefficient of 0.83(P<0.01). A total of 3 245 DEGs were screened by DEGs analysis. Among them, 1 229 genes were up-regulated and 2 016 genes were down-regulated. GSEA results showed that the genes were significantly enriched in the areas of G2/M cell cycle checkpoint, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, E2 F target gene, and mitotic spindle pathways. Three hub genes were screened, including the proliferating cell nuclear antigen-associated factor(PCLAF), nucleolar and spindle-associated protein 1(NUSAP1) and topoisomerase Ⅱ-α(TOP2 A). Compared with para-cancerous tissues, normal pleural tissues or lung tissues, the relative expression of PCLAF, NUSAP1 and TOP2 A were increased in the MPM tissues(all P<0.05). Downregulation of these three genes was correlated with good prognosis, and upregulation of these three genes was correlated with poor prognosis in the patients. CONCLUSION: G2/M checkpoint, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, E2 F target gene and mitotic spindle pathway are the key signaling pathways in the occurrence and development of MPM. PCLAF, TOP2 A and NUSAP1 genes could be the biomarkers for the prognosis of MPM.

Chinese guideline for clinical diagnosis and treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (2021 Edition) / 中华肿瘤杂志

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a pleura-derived malignant tumor, with a gradually increasing incidence in recent years based on domestic and foreign epidemiologic data. Most patients with MPM are diagnosed at an advanced stage due to its insidiousness and aggressiveness. The therapeutic strategies of MPM mainly include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Recently, the immunotherapy has altered the treatment pattern and further improved the survival of these patients. In order to timely present the domestic and foreign progress in the diagnosis and treatment of MPM, and to further improve the level of standardized diagnosis and treatment in MPM in China, this guideline was formulated on the basis of existing clinical research evidence combined with experts' opinions. The guideline covers the epidemiology, diagnosis, pathology, treatment and follow-up of MPM.

A Retrospective Study to Explore Prognostic Factors of Short Survival in Patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma upon the Time of Admission to Palliative Care Unit

Objective: This study investigated prognostic factors of short survival in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) upon the time of their admission to the Palliative Care Unit (PCU). Method: We conducted a retrospective review of the medical records of 12 patients with MPM, who died at the PCU of our hospital from January 2016 to April 2018. According to the classification of survival period by previous predictor model, these patients were classified into three Groups, Group A: less than 13 days, Group B: between 14 and 55 days, and Group C: more than 56 days. Results: The number of patients was 5 in Group A, 5 in Group B, and 2 in Group C, respectively. Hemoptysis was seen in 40% of patients of Group A only and oxygen inhalation was necessary for all the patients of Group A. Dysphagia and bilateral pleural involvement were seen in 80% of Group A and in 60% of Group B. Pneumonia was seen in 60% of Group A and in 20% of Group B. The above four factors were not seen in Group C. Conclusion: This preliminary study suggests that hemoptysis, dysphagia, bilateral pleural involvement, pneumonia, and oxygen inhalation are possibly prognostic factors of short survival of patients with MPM upon their admission to PCU.

Mesotelioma pleural maligno. Actualización sobre diagnóstico y tratamiento / Malignant pleural mesothelioma. Update on diagnosis and treatment

RESUMEN Introducción: El mesotelioma pleural maligno es un tumor maligno primario de la pleura, comúnmente asociado con la exposición al asbesto. Se considera una patología rara y muy agresiva. Objetivo: Realizar una revisión sobre los criterios de diagnóstico y tratamiento actualizados en torno al mesotelioma pleural maligno. Métodos: Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica en fuentes de información disponibles en la Biblioteca Virtual de Salud, de la red telemática Infomed, entre ellas, las bases de datos SciELO, Pubmed/Medline, Cumed, Lilacs, así como el Google Académico. Se seleccionaron un total de 39 referencias. Conclusiones: Existen pocas referencias en la literatura nacional relacionadas con el diagnóstico, tratamiento y seguimiento de los pacientes con mesotelioma pleural maligno. El diagnóstico combina el uso del método clínico, los estudio imagenológicos e histoquímicos. No existe un tratamiento estándar, siendo recomendable un enfoque individualizado que combine según cada caso, cirugía, quimio y radioterapia. Los desafíos futuros incluyen el desarrollo de nuevas alternativas terapéuticas(AU)

ABSTRACT Introduction: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma is a primary malignant tumor of the pleura, commonly associated with exposure to asbestos. It is considered a rare and very aggressive pathology. Objective: Conduct a review of updated diagnostic and treatment criteria for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Material and Methods: A bibliographic review was made through the search of information in sources available from the Cuban National Health Care Network and Portal (INFOMED), among them, databases such as SciELO, Pubmed / Medline, Cumed, Lilacs, as well as Google Scholar. Finally, a total of 39 references were selected for our study. Conclusions: There are few references in the national literature related to the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. The diagnosis combines the use of the clinical method, the imaging and histochemical studies. There is no standard treatment, being recommended an individualized approach that combines according to each case, surgery, chemo and radiotherapy. Future challenges include the development of new therapeutic alternatives(AU)

Mesotelioma pleural con manifestaciones paraneoplásicas de osteoartropatía hipertrófica / Pleural mesothelioma with paraneoplastic manifestations of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy

RESUMEN Se presenta un paciente exfumador de 65 años que, un año antes de comenzar las manifestaciones respiratorias, comenzó con dolores óseos erráticos, tratados con medicamentos comunes hasta que es atendido por disnea, tos y dolor torácico en el Hospital Básico San Antonio, ciudad de Riobamba, provincia de Chimborazo, Ecuador. El paciente presenta un gran derrame pleural, del cual obtienen 1500 ml de líquido serohemático, cuyo estudio citológico es positivo de malignidad. Se somete a cirugía, se confirma histológicamente mesotelioma maligno en etapa IV y se trata posteriormente con quimioterapia, pero el paciente empeora progresivamente hasta fallecer. Los autores resaltan que las manifestaciones paraneoplásicas del cáncer del pulmón son más frecuentes cuando la localización es parenquimatosa y no pleural, y llaman la atención sobre el hecho de que en este paciente comenzaron 1 año antes de que aparecieran los síntomas respiratorios.

ABSTRACT We present a 65-year-old ex-smoker patient, in which respiratory manifestations with erratic bone pain treated with common medications, began a year before he was atended for dyspnea, cough and chest pain at "San Antonio" Basic Hospital, Riobamba city, Chimborazo province, Ecuador. The patient presented a large pleural effusion of 1500 ml of serohematic fluid. Cytological study was positive for malignancy to rule out mesothelioma. Surgery was performed, histologically malignant mesothelioma was confirmed in stage IV and treated with chemotherapy. But the patient worsens progressively until death. Authors emphasized that lung cancer paraneoplastic manifestations were more frequent in not pleural and parenchymal location. They also called attention to patients´ symptoms, which began one year before the respiratory condition appeared.

​Prevalence of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma in Pleural Effusion Patients in Thanjavur Medical College Hospital: A Pilot Study

Background: The incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has increased for some decades and was expected topeak between 2010 and 2020. The prevalence of MPM in India is unclear. No such study is available regarding MPM in India.Materials and Methods: After obtaining proper informed consent, patients presenting with pleural effusion were subject topleural biopsy, and the samples were then sent to histopathological confirmation of malignancy.Results: Histopathological evidence confirmed two cases of MPM of the 12 cases. Five of them were diagnosed with tuberculosispleuritis, while two cases had inflammatory pathology and two cases were confirmed to have been metastatic tumors.Conclusions: The present findings show that the prevalence of MPM is rather high at about 16%. A more comprehensivestudy is warranted based on our findings.

Progress of malignant pleural mesothelioma / 肿瘤研究与临床

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare primary tumor originating from pleural mesothelial cells.The disease is insidious and the etiology is not yet clear,but exposure to asbestos is the main pathogenic factors.The early symptoms of MPM are not obvious,and owning to the lack of specific symptoms,it's hard to be diagnosed,so it depends on histopathological immunohistochemistry to confirm the diagnosis.Only a few patients can undergo radical surgery.The current treatment is mainly chemotherapy,and cisplatin combined with pemetrexed is the most commonly used chemotherapy.The prognosis of MPM patient is very poor,and the survival period is short.The median survival time of MPM patients after supportive therapy alone is 4-12 months.This article will summarize the status and research progress of diagnosis and treatment of MPM.

Mesotelioma pleural maligno en ocho pacientes y revisión del tema / Malignant pleural mesothelioma in eight patients and review of topic

Se actualizan aspectos etiopatogénicos, clínicos, diagnósticos y terapéuticos en el mesotelioma pleural maligno, enfermedad temida e infrecuente en nuestro medio. Nos impresionó sobremanera, una profesional de salud tratada recientemente y en etapa temprana que apenas sobrevivió un año. El objetivo es elevar el conocimiento sobre el tema para tratar de mejorar la sobrevida. Se presentan una síntesis de ocho pacientes estudiados y tratados con este diagnóstico en los hospitales "Amalia Simoni", "Manuel Ascunce Domenech", "Madam Curie" de Camagüey y el "Martín Chang Puga" de Nuevitas desde 1998 hasta 2015, señalando el cuadro clínico, exámenes complementarios, diagnóstico, tratamiento médico quirúrgico y los resultados. Más de la mitad de los pacientes eran fumadores con pequeño derrame pleural inicial que hicieron pensar en la enfermedad, todo lo contrario cuando no existió derrame. Hubo tres enfermos donde el diagnóstico nos sorprendió por lo inesperado. La sobrevida fue baja con una media alrededor de 11 meses, solo uno vivió dos años. Los complementarios utilizados se ajustan a otros reportes y nuestras posibilidades. El tratamiento fue actualizado y acorde a otras series en el momento del diagnóstico. Se compara nuestra casuística, la cual se asemeja a publicaciones foráneas en cuanto a diagnóstico, tratamiento y sobrevida. Señalamos que, independiente de algunos recursos desde el punto de vista diagnóstico y terapéutico con que no contamos, los resultados se ajustan a la literatura actual y la sobrevida lograda fue sin dudas, adversa(AU)

Several etiopathogenetic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of the malignant pleural mesothelioma, fearful and infrequent disease in our context, are updated. It was really impressive the case of a female health professional that was recently treated at early stage of disease and barely survived one year. The objective of this review was to raise the level of knowledge on this disease in oder to improve survival rates. To this end, eight patients with this diagnosis, who were studied and treated in "Amalia Simoni", "Manuel Ascunce Domenech", "Madame Curie" hospitals in Camaguey and in "Martin Chang Puga" in Nuevitas from 1998 to 2015 were presented. Their clinical picture, supplementary tests, diagnosis, medical and surgical treatment and final results were described. Half of them were smokers with initial small pleural effusion that made the specialists suspect the existence of the disease. There were three patients whose diagnoses surprised the physicians because they were unexpected. Survival was low and the average survival rate was 11 months, although one managed to live two years. The indicated supplementary tests were similar to those of other reports and adjusted to our setting. Treatment was updated and consistent with other series at the time of diagnosis. The casuistry in our conditions was compared to others and it was similar in terms of diagnosis, treatment and survival rates to the one shown in foreign publication. Regardless of some unavailable diagnostic and therapeutic resources, the results of the treatment agree with those of the current literature on the topic and the survival rate was undoubtedly negative(AU)

Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma and Gastric Metastasis: A Very Rare Case Report and Literature Review.

Introduction: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare neoplasm. It has closed association with occupational asbestos exposure. Symptoms are commonly due to local invasion of pleura and mediastinal structures. MPM may have local or rarely distant organ metastasis by haematogenous spread in different organs such as liver, adrenal gland, kidney and contralateral lung. However, gastrointestinal involvement is very rare. Case Report: We report herein a 58-year-old female patient who was presented with back painand finally was diagnosed as MPM with distant metastasis to the stomach. Conclusion: Clinical, imaging and histopathologic findings play an important role in influencing the prognosis as well as treatment.

The efficacy of pemetrexed and bevacizumab intrapleural injection for malignant pleural mesothelioma-mediated malignant pleural effusion.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pemetrexed chemotherapy combined with intrapleural injection of pemetrexed and bevacizumab in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM)‑mediated malignant pleural effusion, and analyze the objective response rate (ORR), the median progression‑free survival (PFS) and the median overall survival (OS). METHODS: We analyzed the clinical data of 23 MPM patients with pleural effusion who were treated with a combination chemotherapy of pemetrexed at 500 mg/m2, on day 1 plus cisplatin (DDP) at 20 mg/m2 on day 1–5 of each 21 days cycle, and concurrently, intrapleural injection of pemetrexed 0.5 g and bevacizumab 300 mg was administered on day 3 or day 4 after complete effusion drainage. ELISA test was applied to detect the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level in the pleural effusion and serum, and assess the ORR and survival. RESULTS: In the 23 evaluable patients, the VEGF level in the pleural effusion and serum was significantly decreased, P < 0.01, pleural effusion of 20 patients (86.96%) was controlled effectively. There were 8 complete responses, 7 partial responses, 5 stable disease and 3 progressive disease, the ORR was 65.21%, the disease control rate was 86.96%, the median PFS was 6 months, the median OS was 14.5 months, and the 1‑year survival rate was 41.22%. Toxicities were generally mild and manageable; the major toxicities included myelosuppression, fatigue, and anemia, mainly were grade 1–2 which could be managed by symptomatic treatments. CONCLUSION: The combination of pemetrexed chemotherapy with intrapleural injection of pemetrexed and bevacizumab is efficacious and safe for MPM pleural effusion, and results of the present study demonstrate some improvement in the PFS and OS. The expression of VEGF in the pleural effusion and serum plays a guiding role in monitoring the efficacy of bevacizumab in the treatment of malignant pleural effusion.

Added Value of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Staging of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

PURPOSE: We investigated the possible added value of magnetic resonance imaging (MR) in staging of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) compared to computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 20 patients (M;F = 14:6; mean age, 53.5 yrs) who diagnosed as MPM by histology and underwent CT and MR at initial evaluation from Jan 1997 to Dec 2012. Two radiologists performed clinical staging by using CT alone or MR alone in consensus. In patients underwent surgery (n = 13), we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of CT and MR in terms of staging compared to surgical staging. In all patients, we compared clinical staging of CT only and CT with MR. RESULTS: The diagnostic accuracy for T staging of CT only was 23.1% (3/13) and that of combined CT and MR was 38.5% (5/13), respectively. Among 13 patients underwent surgery, surgical stage was higher than combined CT and MR stage in 5 patients, but lower in 3 patients. CT only and combined CT and MR agreed in 85.0% (17/20). In cases of disagree (15.0%, 3/20), combined CT and MR showed higher stage than CT only. CONCLUSION: Combined CT and MR increases the diagnostic accuracy in staging of MPM compared to CT only and is important in determining the appropriate treatment in patients being considered for surgery.

Determinación de péptidos solubles relacionados a mesotelina para la detección precoz del mesotelioma maligno / Soluble mesothelin-related protein for malignant pleural mesothelioma screening

Introduction: Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) is a tumor of the mesothelial cells related to asbestos exposure. This malignancy is extremely aggressive, with poor response to different treatment modalities, and it has a mean survival of 8 months since diagnosis. With the introduction of new chemotherapeutic agents and trimodality protocols, five-year survival of 40 percent in initial stages has been reported. Serum detection of Soluble Mesothelin-related Protein (SMRP) could be used for screening of MPM. Using the MESOMARK® test, 53 percent of MPM patients had levels greater than 1,5 nM, while 99 percent of control patients had lower concentrations. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of this test in Chile and determine its utility for screening ofMPM. Methods: Quantitative blind measurement of serum SMRP by MESOMARK® test. We studied 3 groups: 8 workers exposed to asbestos, 5 patients with diagnosed MPM and 14 age matched workers without known exposure to asbestos. Participants were informed of the study. Results: Mean +/- standard deviation SMRP levels in the control group was 0,53 +/- 0,4 nM, 0,89 +/- 0,46 nM in patients exposed to asbestos and 10,68 +/- 10,28 nM in MPMpatients. Differences between the groups were statistically significant (p = 0,02). In the MPM group, 3 patients were found to have SMRP levels greater than 1,5 nM (17,27 nM; SD 6,95) and 2 patients normal values (0,79 nM; SD 0,32). Using a cut-off value of 1,5 nM, sensitivity of the test was 60 percent and specificity was 100 percent. Conclusions: Detection of SMRP levels allowed to identify patients with MPM, three of whom had very high concentrations. The sensitivity and specificity found is similar to that previously reported. If our results are confirmed in greater studies, SMRP detection could be used for screening of MPM.

Resumen Introducción: El Mesotelioma Maligno (MM) es un tumor de las células mesoteliales relacionado a la exposición a asbesto, altamente agresivo, con pobre respuesta al tratamiento y con una sobrevida promedio de 8 meses después del diagnóstico. Sin embargo, nuevos agentes quimioterapéuticos y protocolos de terapia trimodal han logrado sobrevidas de hasta 40 por ciento en etapas iniciales. La detección en sangre periférica de Péptidos Solubles Relacionados a Mesotelina (SMRP) podría ser útil para el diagnóstico precoz de MM. Utilizando el test MESOMARK® para la determinación de SMRP, 53 por ciento de los pacientes con MM tenían valores mayores a 1,5 nM mientras que 99 por ciento de los controles mostraron valores inferiores. El objetivo del presente trabajo es evaluar la implementación de este test en Chile y determinar su utilidad para el diagnóstico precoz en MM. Métodos: Medición cuantitativa de SMRP en suero humano por test MESOMARK®. Se realizaron mediciones en forma ciega a 8 trabajadores con exposición a asbesto, a 5 pacientes con MMy a 14 voluntarios sin exposición. Todos los participantes fueron informados del estudio. Resultados: El promedio +/- desviación estándar de SMRP en el grupo control fue de 0,53 +/- 0,4 nM, de 0,89 +/- 0,46 nM en los expuestos sin MMy de 10,68 +/- 10,28 nM en el grupo con MM; encontrándose una diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre los valores de estos tres grupos (p = 0,02). En el grupo con MM, 3 pacientes tuvieron concentraciones mucho mayores a 1,5 nM (17,27 nM; DS 6,95) y 2 valores normales (0,79 nM; DS 0,32). Utilizando un valor de 1,5 nM como punto de corte, la sensibilidad fue de 60 por ciento y la especificidad de 100 por ciento. Conclusiones: La medición de SMRP permitió diferenciar a los pacientes con MM, presentando 3 de ellos concentraciones muy elevadas. La sensibilidad y especificidad encontrada es similar con datos previamente reportados. De confirmarse estos resultados en estudios con mayor ...

Efficacy comparison of two conservative strategies in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma / 中国综合临床

Objective To compare the survival rates from two conservative strategies in the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (pemetrexed plus cisplatin or pemetrexed plus carboplatin ).Methods Seventeen cases diagnosed of malignant pleural mesothelioma at clinical stages of or over Butchart Ⅲ in our hospital during 2005 -2009 were treated with pemetrexed plus cisplatin (10 cases,Group A)or pemetrexed plus carboplatin (7 cases,Group B ).The difference in the survival rates between these two groups was compared.Results The early survival rate (0 -3 months)in pemetrexed plus cisplatin (group A)-treated group was more than that of pemetrexed plus carboplatin group (group B),but the difference was not statistically significant (x2 =0,1.52,1.52,respectively,P ＞ 0.05 ).For the medium-term survival rate (4 - 9 months),group A was better than group B,and the difference was statistically significant( x2 =5.21,4.41,4.41,4.50,4.50,4.55,respectively,P ＜ 0.05 ).The two groups produced comparable long-term survival rate s (10 -12months) ( x2 =1.31,0.09,0.09,respectively,P ＞ 0.05 ).Conclusion To increase the medium-term survival rate (4 -9 months)of patients with MPM,we prefer to using pemetrexed plus cisplatin regime.For the patients with more severe side effects which can be relieved by folic acid and VitB12,this regime is also recommended.Otherwise,for the patients with unrelievable side effects,especially for those with poor physical condition or a short survival expectation,pemetrexed plus carboplatin is suggested.

Study on cisplatin combination with pemetrexed disodium in the therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of ALIMTA (pemetrexed disodium) plus cisplatin.Methods Patients with malignant mesothelioma were allocated to two treatment groups envelope:pemetrexed plus cisplatin (PEM-group) or cisplatin alone (DDP-group).Results A total of 64 patients were randomly assigned and evaluated.The number of patients in PEM- and DDP-group had a significant pathologic complete response were (56.25 ％ vs 21.88 ％,x2 =7.943,P ＜0.05).Progression-free survival was significantly higher in PEM-group (P ＜0.05),and 2-year survival rate was lower in DDP-group (P ＜0.05).Conclusion Pemetrexed elicit significant tumor response and delays disease progression compared with DDP alone in patients with advanced MPM.Improvement in OS is seen in this study.

Dramatic Tumor Response to 2nd-line Pemetrexed/Cisplatin Combination Chemotherapy in Patient with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma / 결핵및호흡기질환

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare tumor that is difficult to clearly distinguish from an adenocarcinoma but usually has a poor prognosis. Numerous cytotoxic agents have been used in the primary treatment of MPM with limited success. A complete response is unusual and a partial response occurs in less than one-third of patients. Recently, a phase III trial showed that a combination of pemetrexed with cisplatin resulted in a significantly higher response rate and median survival time than with cisplatin alone. We encountered a case of a dramatic tumor response to pemetrexed/cisplatin combination chemotherapy in patients with MPM, which was resistant to the 1st-line gemcitabine/cisplatin therapy. After six cycles of pemetrexed/cisplatin combination chemotherapy, the tumor volume had decreased dramatically with complete symptom relief. There was no chemotherapy-related toxicity or scheduled violation. The patient is under maintenance chemotherapy with the same regimen.