The chemotherapy of peritoneal malignant mesothelioma

Peritoneal malignant mesothelioma is a rare disorder with a poor prognosis, and a standard treatment for it has not yet been established. Therefore, treatment of this disorder tends to be selected according to pleura malignant mesothelioma. We analyzed case reports in Japan. The median survival time(MST)with this disease was 12 months and the 1-year survival rate was 47. 3% in the chemotherapy group. It was found through a case-series study that platinum pharmaceutical plus antimetabolite are effective against peritoneal malignant mesothelioma. A gemcitabine(GEM)plus cisplatin(CDDP)regimen had been selected as a conventional treatment, but subsequently, pemetrexed(MTA)was covered by health insurance for pleural malignant mesothelioma in 2007, and the MTA plus CDDP regimen became the standard treatment. However, a phase III trial of GEM plus CDDP regimen and MTA plus CDDP regimen was not performed. There is a need to perform these phase III trials in the future. In our institution, the MTA plus CDDP regimen was the first-line treatment, and the GEM plus CDDP regimen was the second-line treatment against peritoneal malignant mesothelioma. Palonosetron hydrochloride and aprepitant should be used actively in treatment. Also, carboplatin(CBDCA)is effective as an alternative therapy of the CDDP against renal disorder case, but hematotoxicity requires attention.