A study shows the improvement pleural mesothelioma patients who cisplatin more raltitrexed
Mesothelioma pleural mesothelioma patients treated with cisplatin and raltitrexed may survive longer than patients who cisplatin alone, according to a study in Europe and Canada (J Clin Oncol. 2005 Oct 1, 23 (28): 6881 - 9). Raltitrexed (Tomudex), with a capacity of the cancer cells to multiply and make the deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA. The cisplatin is a medicine from conventional chemotherapy.
Two one hundred fifty patients with pleural mesothelioma participated in a clinical trial to determine the safety and effectiveness of raltitrexed. Hundred Twenty-four patients received cisplatin, and the rest has more raltitrexed cisplatin. Most were men with an average age of 58 who do not have the additional treatment with chemotherapy.
Raltitrexed The study was a phase III clinical tests, as proposed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. Phase III comparison a new therapy against cancer with a standard treatment, and requires a large number of participants. It follows on from a clinical study of the phase II, which deals with the safety of a new treatment and the way the administration and a clinical phase I trial of the efficacy tests drugs on a small number of patients.
Increase the survival rate among patients with raltitrexed The researchers have investigated the survival, the progress of pleural mesothelioma, security, the tumor response rate, the patients and the quality of life. They have discovered, what follows:
“About six percent of patients with pleural mesothelioma in the cisplatin group raltitrexed survived at least one year, compared to 40% of the cisplatin group.
“The average survival was of 11.4 months for patients in the cisplatin / raltitrexed group, but only 8.8 months for patients in the group with cisplatin.
“Twenty-four percent of patients receiving cisplatin / raltitrexed had a positive response against the pleural mesothelioma, compared to 14% of patients receiving cisplatin.
“The quality of life in general was roughly in the group of cisplatin compared to the cisplatin group raltitrexed.
A small number of patients, both in the cisplatin cisplatin and raltitrexed groups developed lower white blood cell count (neutropenia). Other side effects included fatigue, nausea and vomiting, often in the group of combination drugs.
Raltitrexed is relative to the Pleural Mesothelioma Drug raltitrexed Alimta ® is in the class of so-called antifolates chemotherapy. It blocks the production of thymidylate synthase, back, which decreases its ability mesothelioma cell, the DNA, the genetic material of the base, in the reproduction of cells. It is in Europe for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.
Raltitrexed is closely connected with pemetrexed (Alimta ®), another antifolate. Currently pemetrexed / cisplatin is the only combination therapy of chemotherapy, that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has in the treatment of pleural mesothelioma.