Research about the novel treatment was presented during a virtual session of the 2020 scientific meeting of the Society of Interventional Radiology on June 14. The treatment involves arterial chemoperfusion of affected patients. Typically, people who have stage three or four malignant pleural mesotheliomas survive for about 12 months past their diagnoses. The new treatment shows promise of possibly extending the time of survival.
The researchers enrolled 27 people with advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma in the study’s phase II clinical trial. All of the patients had previously undergone chemotherapy, and three had undergone pleurectomy. All of the patients had demonstrated continued disease progression prior to the study. The patients were given the arterial chemoperfusion. The researchers found a 70.3% disease control rate, and the median length of survival from the date of the treatment was just over eight months. The side effects included mild chest pain and nausea, but they were much less pronounced than with traditional chemotherapy. The major complication rate was only 1.4%. Surgery is currently the recommended treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma, but it is only effective when the disease is caught early. This new treatment shows promise to people whose diagnoses do not come until a later stage.
Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. People who are diagnosed with mesothelioma may be entitled to recover compensation through filing a claim after consulting with experienced mesothelioma attorneys. An attorney might evaluate the potential claim and offer an honest assessment of its merits. The attorney may then help their client to file a claim with mesothelioma trust funds or a lawsuit against those responsible in court.