Introduction: Treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) remains a clinical challenge. The aim of this study was to identify selection factors for allocation of MPM patients to multimodal therapy based on survival data from 12 years of experience.
Methods: Eligible patients had MPM of all histological subtypes with clinical stage T1-3 N0-2 M0. Induction chemotherapy consisted of cisplatin/gemcitabine (cis/gem) or cisplatin/pemetrexed (cis/pem), followed by extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP). Multivariate analysis was performed to assess independent prognosticators for overall survival (OS). A Multimodality Prognostic Score was developed based on clinical variables available before surgery.
Results: From May 1999 to August 2011, 186 MPM patients were intended to be treated with induction chemotherapy followed by EPP. Hematologic toxicity was significantly less frequent after cis/pem compared to cis/gem, but there was no difference in response or OS between the regimens. One hundred and twenty-eight patients underwent EPP with a 30-day mortality of 4.7%. Fifty-two percent of the patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. The median OS of patients undergoing EPP was significantly longer with 22 months (95% confidence interval: 20-24) when compared to 11 months (9-12) for patients treated without EPP. A prognostic score was defined considering tumor volume, histology, C-reactive protein level, and response to chemotherapy that identified patient groups not benefitting from multimodality treatment which was confirmed in an independent cohort.
Conclusion: Patients receiving induction chemotherapy followed by EPP for MPM of all histological subtypes and irrespective of nodal status showed a median survival of 22 months. A prognostic score is proposed to help patient allocation for surgery after validation in an independent cohort.