Chemotherapy of malignant mesothelioma

Twenty-three patients with malignant mesothelioma are described as to mode of presentation, symptoms, method of diagnosis and histology, Beginning in 1972, 10 patients were treated with drug combination including Adriamycin, Dacarbazine (DTIC), Cytoxan, and vincristine. Median survival of these patients was 9.5 months. Twelve patients who were treated with other modes of therapy had a median survival of about 4.75 months. One patient died after 22 days in the hospital, for whom a diagnosis was made at autopsy. While historical retrospective controls involving 13 patients are of limited value in assessing the usefulness of a new treatment, the authors feel that combination chemotherapy in 10 patients has shown enough activity to warrant further study. In addition, wide local resection, where possible, probably increases survival.