Assessment of Survival and Clinical Benefit in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) Patients Treated with Gemcitabine and Carboplatin.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and clinical benefit of combined gemcitabine and carboplatin in patients with previously untreated malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).

Patients And Methods: This prospective phase II study was performed on 42 eligible patients with histologically or cytologically proven MPM presenting to Ain Shams University hospitals and Sohag Cancer Center between January 2002 and April 2006. They were assigned to receive combined gemcitabine (1250mg/m2) on days, 1 and 8 and carboplatin (AUC 6) on day 1.

Limited Field Radiotherapy Concomitant with Cisplatin/Etoposide Followed by Consolidation Docetaxel for the Treatment of Inoperable Stage III Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and outcome of concomitant cisplatin/etoposide and limited field irradiation followed by consolidation docetaxel in patients with locally advanced non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: This is a prospective phase II study that included 32 patients with locally advanced stage III NSCLC who presented to the Radiation Oncology and Chest Departments- Ain Shams University hospitals, and Sohag Cancer Center between May 2004 and August 2006. Eligible patients were treated first with two cycles of cisplatin 50mg/m2/day on days 1, 8, 29 and 36 and etoposide 50mg/m2/day on days 1-5 and 29-33 concomitant with conventionally fractionated radiation (66Gy in 2Gy fractions) to the gross primary disease and regionally involved lymph nodes followed by 3 cycles of consolidation single agent docetaxel, 75mg/m2/3 weeks.