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Malignant Mesothelioma Treatment (PDQ®)     
Last Modified: 01/09/2009
Health Professional Version
Changes to This Summary (01/09/2009)

The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.

Advanced Malignant Mesothelioma (Stages II, III, and IV) 1

Added text 2 about a randomized phase III trial that compared cisplatin alone with the combination of raltitrexed and cisplatin in first-line treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (cited van Meerbeeck et al. as reference 19 and level of evidence 1iiA).

Recurrent Malignant Mesothelioma 3

Added Zucali et al. as reference 3 4. Added text 4 to state that patients with recurrent mesothelioma but without prior chemotherapy are candidates for first-line chemotherapy with cisplatin pemetrexed or cisplatin raltitrexed; patients who receive surgery without chemotherapy and recur are candidates for chemotherapy.

Added text 5 about a study that compared pemetrexed to best supportive care in patients who received one prior regimen of chemotherapy without pemetrexed (cited Jassem et al. as reference 6 and level of evidence 1iiA).



Table of Links

1http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malignantmesothelioma/HealthPr
ofessional/29.cdr#Section_29
2http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malignantmesothelioma/HealthPr
ofessional/72.cdr#Section_72
3http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malignantmesothelioma/HealthPr
ofessional/38.cdr#Section_38
4http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malignantmesothelioma/HealthPr
ofessional/39.cdr#Section_39
5http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/malignantmesothelioma/HealthPr
ofessional/73.cdr#Section_73