Mesothelioma Clinical Trial Brings Hope

As the last of the snow melts up here in the Northeast, the crocus are beginning to sprout –  Spring is in the air!  As the earth begins to awaken for this new season, hope is in the air. For mesothelioma patients and their families diagnosed with mesothelioma there is also hope.

A recent talk given by a mesothelioma expert highlighted the progress that is being made, and  the results of clinical trials that have shown some promising results. One such trial, the LUME-Meso trial has shown some progress for longer survival for a percentage of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Currently, the standard chemotherapy regimen for patients diagnosed with pleural malignant mesothelioma has been pemetrexed and cisplatin. This was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2004.

The LUME-Meso trial is investigating if the addition of nintedanib plus the standard chemotherapy could have a positive impact on the long term survival of patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma.  The results have been reported after phase 2, it is currently in phase 3.

Nintedanib is a drug that inhibits the process of blood vessel formation that feed the tumor.  It is an angiogenic drug that stops the formation and reshaping of blood vessels in and around tumors.  It targets growth factors by inhibiting PDGFR- platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) and vascular endothelial factor receptor (VEGFR). The brand names of nintedanib are Ofev and Vargatef. It is currently being used for treatment of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis-IPF- and is being investigated for other cancers.

The exciting part of the results after phase 2 is that the addition of nintedanib to the standard chemotherapy is that survival for patients with epithelioid cell type malignant pleural mesothelioma was extended by 5.4 months. Another step closer to a cure for certain patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Like the springtime – new beginnings and new hope. Every day we wake up with new thoughts and hope. Maybe this mesothelioma treatment or a different clinical trial will be the one to offer progress towards a cure.  As we have watched, mesothelioma patients come from many places to a center where expertise is offered, and hope is always part of the equation.  Like Spring, we look forward to new ideas and treatments, and renewed beginnings.

For further information on this clinical trial go to ClinicalTrials.gov.

Sources:

• LUME-Meso trial
  https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT01907100