Search

Purpose The role played by radiation therapy after pleurectomy/decortication or surgical biopsy in malignant pleural mesothelioma is uncertain. We treated patients with accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy using helical tomotherapy and intensity-modulated arc therapy in an attempt to keep lung toxicity to a minimum. The present study reports the feasibility and toxicity of this approach. Material and Methods Between 2008 and 2012, 36 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma underwent accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy to the hemithorax after pleurectomy/decortication (19 patients) or biopsy (17 patients). The prescription dose was 25 Gy in five fractions over 5 consecutive days. Results We observed three patients with G3 pneumonitis, five cases of grade 2 dyspnea and six cases of grade 2 cough. The median follow-up was 37 months (range: 3–54 months). The median overall survival for patients who underwent pleurectomy/decortication followed by radiotherapy was 21.6 months [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 15.5–24.1] compared to 19.4 months for patients not submitted to surgery. Conclusion Treatment of intact lung with pleural intensity-modulated arc irradiation in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma proved safe and feasible, with an acceptable rate of pneumonitis. Survival rates were encouraging for both biopsy-only and pleurectomy/decortication groups. We are currently conducting a phase II dose escalation trial in a similar patient setting to prospectively evaluate the impact of radiotherapy on toxicity, disease-free survival and overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor about the association of folate transporter SLC19A1 polymorphisms having multiple myeloma resulting from chemotherapy and tandem autologous transplantation is presented.