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Re-treated Patients Experienced Improved Survival
Researchers wanted to understand how re-treatment affected survival. To do that, they looked at two groups of patients:
- Additional chemotherapy patients: These patients did not qualify for repeat immunotherapy treatment. However, they did receive additional chemotherapy after the induction phase of the immunotherapy trial.
- Re-treated patients: These patients repeated tremelimumab and durvalumab treatment.
Median survival differed substantially between these two groups. Those treated with additional chemotherapy lived about 11 months. Patients treated with repeat immunotherapy lived about 26 months.
The re-treated patients lived more than twice as long as those who received additional chemotherapy.
The study also found the following survival rates for re-treated patients:
- 1-year survival: 53%
- 2-year survival: 24%
These results improve upon earlier studies of second-line mesothelioma treatment. Other second-line therapies for pleural mesothelioma achieved a median survival of about eight months. Thus, re-treatment with tremelimumab and durvalumab may provide a superior survival compared to past treatments.
New Treatment Similar to Recently Approved Regimen
Opdivo® and Yervoy® gained FDA approval for pleural mesothelioma treatment in late 2020. The combination improved patient survival in clinical trials. The Opdivo® and Yervoy® trial enrolled more than 600 patients.
Current results of tremelimumab and durvalumab show similar promise to the Opdivo® and Yervoy® trial. Tremelimumab and durvalumab can be tested in larger studies to gain FDA approval. In the meantime, mesothelioma patients may be able to access this therapy through clinical trials.
Patients interested in checkpoint inhibitors should discuss treatment options with their oncology team. A mesothelioma doctor can help determine the best treatment approach for each patient’s situation.
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