Clinical Trial Shows Benefits of Vinorelbine for Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma specialist Dr. Dean Fennell has strongly endorsed the use of vinorelbine as a second-line treatment for patients with relapsed disease. He was the lead investigator in a recent phase II clinical trial studying the efficacy of vinorelbine for patients whose pleural mesothelioma cancer had progressed after traditional platinum-based chemotherapy. Fennell, who is chair of thoracic and medical oncology at University of Leicester and University Hospitals in the United Kingdom, has based his belief on the multicenter trial involving 154 mesothelioma patients with relapsed disease. “Doctors should now feel more confident in offering vinorelbine to patients and expanding their choice of options past platinum-based chemotherapy,” Fennell told The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com. “The study provides solid evidence to justify its use in a setting of unmet need.” Clinical Trial Results End Debate There currently is no second-line standard of care for pleural mesothelioma. Treatment can vary widely based upon the medical center and is often only palliative in nature. Vinorelbine is a different type of chemotherapy and classified as an antineoplastic agent. It comes with relatively low toxicity and is used for different cancers, mostly after recurrence. It is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use with non-small cell lung cancer. Although it has been used for many years on an international level, there has been considerable d...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news