| الوصف: |
M.S. University of Hawaii at Manoa 2013. ; Includes bibliographical references. ; 1.1. Overview Malignant mesothelioma (MM) arises from the transformation of the mesothelial cells lining pleural, peritoneal and pericardial cavities. The incidence of MM has sharply increased over the past 50 years. Currently, MM causes about 3,000 deaths per year in the US and over 100,000 deaths per year worldwide. Most individuals develop pleural MM due to inhalation of asbestos or other carcinogenic mineral fibers. From initial fiber exposure and diagnosis of MM, there is a long latency period, typically 20-40 years1. In most MM patients, diagnosis frequently occurs at a late stage of disease progression. At that point, the tumor is unresectable and chemotherapy is only palliative. Life expectancy upon diagnosis is usually 8-14 months, although some patients may survive significantly longer. Several combination chemotherapy regimens have been shown to improve survival, when compared with single agent treatment, and have become the main standard of care2. The combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed has yielded the best effect in malignant pleural mesothelioma with a median survival of 12.1 month, a median time to disease progression of 5.7 months, and a response rate of 41% in a phase III study3. Despite the current advances, MM prognosis remains dismal, with almost 90% of patients dying within 2 years from diagnosis. Therefore, there is a significant need for alternative interventions. |
