Dr. Mansfield Discusses Ongoing Trials With Chemoimmunotherapy in Mesothelioma

Aaron S. Mansfield, MD, associate professor of oncology, medical oncologist, consultant, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology, Mayo Clinic, discusses ongoing trials with chemoimmunotherapy in mesothelioma.

Clinical trials evaluating chemoimmunotherapy strategies for patients with mesothelioma are likely to read out in the next few years, Mansfield says. Nonrandomized phase 2 data evaluating these regimens have yielded promising data.

However, it will be important to compare the efficacy of these combinations against standard options to determine whether chemoimmunotherapy will emerge as the standard of care for patients with mesothelioma. Currently, some of the ongoing trials are utilizing platinum-based doublet chemotherapy in the control arm, but that approach is no longer appropriate for many patients with mesothelioma, including those with non-epithelioid disease. As such, when the data read out, cross-trial comparisons may be necessary to determine whether patients should receive chemoimmunotherapy, Mansfield concludes.