Single Agent Chemotherapy
Unfortunately, mesothelioma is fairly resistant to chemotherapy drugs. Most single agent chemotherapy drugs have shown response rates of less than 20 percent and also cause significant toxicities. No single agent drug has been demonstrated to affect overall survival, but the following single agent chemotherapy drugs appear to be active against mesothelioma:
- 5-Fluorouracil
- Methotrexate (high dose)
- Timetrexate
- Doxorubicin
- Epirubicin
- Cyclophosphamide
- Ifosfamide
- Mitomycin C
- Platinol® (Cisplatin)
- Interferon
- Alimta®
- Onconase (Ranpirnase)
- Navelbine (Vinorelbine)
- Carbonplatin (Paraplatin) (though serious side effects have been reported)
Single agent chemotherapy with vinorelbine may give some relief of symptoms without high toxicity levels. The traditional accepted “standard” single agent chemotherapy drug for treating mesothelioma is cisplatin. Recently, scientists are exploring various drug combinations that appear to be more effective than traditional single agent regimens.
That said, the chemotherapy drug Alimta® (pemetrexed) constitutes a major step forward in mesothelioma treatment. Related to methotrexate, Alimta® was evaluated as a single agent chemotherapy drug in a phase II multi-center clinical trial conducted in the U.S., Germany, and Italy. Participants’ reported response rate with Alimta® was 16 percent.