Treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma with liposomized doxorubicine : prolonged time to progression and good survival. A Nordic study

• Introduction: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) has a poor prognosis and there is limited effect of treatment. Lately, pemetrexed and cisplatin have been established as the standard treatment. Objectives: The present study was planned in 1998, when there was no standard treatment. Single-dose doxorubicine had, in small studies, accomplished remissions, and the Scandinavian Mesothelioma Groups therefore decided to test a liposomized form of this drug, which had shown limited toxicity but good efficacy in a few small studies. Methods: Fifty-four evaluable patients with histologically verified and inoperable MPM were treated with liposomized doxorubicine 40 mg/m2, every 4 weeks for six cycles. Results: In all, 29 patients (54%) received at least six treatments. The quality of life remained good during the study. Hematologic toxicity was very low. Palmo–plantar erythema occurred in 11 patients (20%), thereof 7 grade II but none was severe and none was dose-limiting. There were four partial responses (7%). The median time to progression (TTP) was 5 months, the median survival was 12 months, and at 24 months, 22% were still alive. Conclusion: Liposomized doxorubicine has a low toxicity and is well tolerated; there were a remarkably long TTP and a good survival. Thus, despite the low response rate, liposomized doxorubicine remains an interesting drug for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma.

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liposomized doxorubicine - mesothelioma - phase II study - treatment

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