Aim: To assess real-world treatment patterns and outcomes among patients with advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma. Patients & methods: Retrospective database analysis. Results: In all, 469 patients received first-line systemic anticancer therapy (SACT) at community centers. Median follow-up from diagnosis was 11.6 months. Pemetrexed + platinum was the most common first-line SACT; similar proportions of patients received cisplatin or carboplatin with pemetrexed. Only a small proportion of patients received second- and third-line therapies. Median overall survival for first-line SACT was 12.0 months (95% CI: 10.7–14.2). Results were similar with pemetrexed + cisplatin and pemetrexed + carboplatin. Median overall survival with second-line SACT was 6.4 months (95% CI: 5.1–7.6). Conclusion: There is a need for more effective SACTs for advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Treatment patterns among patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma: An Italian, population‐based nationwide study
