Chemotherapy helps in the treatment of mesothelioma.
The inclusion of chemotherapy to patients with mesothelioma, lung cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos does not improve neither the length nor quality of life.
Malignant pleural tumor that usually fetal, a cancer of the lining of the lungs (pleura). Asbestos is still being released or used in large quantities in countries like Russia, China, Canada, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Zimbabwe, India and Thailand.
The study, published in this week's edition of The Lancet, patients with mesothelioma were exposed to either chemotherapy (four cycles of mytomycin, vinblastine and cisplatin every three weeks or one injection of vinorelbine every week for 12 weeks) in addition to active treatment of symptoms (the standard treatment). The latter includes steroids, painkillers, brhonhodilatori (bronchodilatory) and palliative (soothing) radiotherapy. Another group of patients treated with standard therapy, was used as control.
During the analysis, about 96% of patients in the three groups died. Minor improvements were found when comparing chemotherapy with control groups (32% vs. 29% in the rate of life expectancy).
Patients in the second group (vinorelbine) had slightly better survival values (37%) than the other two groups, but scientists say that it is statistically insignificant.
Quality of life (physical function, pain, breathing difficulties, overall health status) were similar in the three groups.
"The addition of chemotherapy to standard treatment does not offer significant improvements in longevity and quality of life" However vinorelbine deserves to be examined more closely, "concluded the authors of exploration, too.
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