A single-center retrospective cohort study of perioperative systemic chemotherapy in diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma.

Background: Diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (DMPM) is a rare variant of malignant mesothelioma, representing 10-15% of malignant mesothelioma cases. The preferred therapeutic approach is cytoreductive surgery (CRS) accompanied by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC); the role of systemic chemotherapy is not well established. While some limited retrospective studies report worse outcomes with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, our institution has favored the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for symptom relief and surgical optimization.

Initial clinical experience treating patients with palliative radiotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma on the HalcyonTM linear accelerator.

Background: Radiation therapy (RT) can provide effective symptomatic palliation in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Advances in RT technology, including intensity-modulated RT (IMRT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT), have improved treatment conformality, potentially improving the therapeutic ratio of RT. A novel 6-MV flattening-filter-free O-ring linear accelerator, HalcyonTM (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA, USA), was built to provide such advanced therapies, while possibly reducing treatment time.

Delayed-Phase Enhancement for Evaluation of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma on Computed Tomography: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Radiologic assessment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) on computed tomography (CT) imaging can be limited by similar attenuations of MPM and adjacent tissues. This can result in inaccuracies in defining the presence and extent of pleural tumor burden. We hypothesized that increasing the time delay for pleural enhancement will optimize discrimination between MPM and noncancerous tissues on CT.

Lymphangitic carcinomatosis: A common radiographic manifestation of local failure following extended pleurectomy/decortication in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Introduction: The lymphangitic carcinomatosis (LC) pattern of metastatic malignancy is associated with a poor prognosis but is currently not well defined in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Here, we report the incidence and prognostic significance of the radiographic development of LC in MPM following extended pleurectomy/decortication (EPD).

Methods: Consecutive patients with biopsy-proven MPM undergoing EPD with intraoperative photodynamic therapy (PDT) at our institution from 2008 to 2014 were included in this retrospective study.

A Novel Prospective Study Assessing the Combination of Photodynamic Therapy and Proton Radiation Therapy: Safety and Outcomes When Treating Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma remains difficult to treat, with high failure rates despite optimal therapy. We present a novel prospective trial combining proton therapy (PT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) and the largest-ever mesothelioma PT experience (n = 10). PDT photosensitizers included porfimer sodium (2 mg·kg ; 24 h drug-light interval) or 2-[1-hexyloxyethyl]-2-devinyl pyropheophorbide-a (HPPH) (4 mg·m ;48 h) with wavelengths of 630 nm to 60J·cm and 665 nm to 15-45J·cm , respectively.

A preclinical model to investigate the role of surgically-induced inflammation in tumor responses to intraoperative photodynamic therapy.

Objective: Inflammation is a well-known consequence of surgery. Although surgical debulking of tumor is beneficial to patients, the onset of inflammation in injured tissue may impede the success of adjuvant therapies. One marker for postoperative inflammation is IL-6, which is released as a consequence of surgical injuries.

Lesion oxygenation associates with clinical outcomes in premalignant and early stage head and neck tumors treated on a phase 1 trial of photodynamic therapy.

Background: We report on a Phase 1 trial of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for superficial head and neck (H&N) lesions. Due to known oxygen dependencies of PDT, translational measurements of lesion hemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO) and blood volume (tHb) were studied for associations with patient outcomes.

Methods: PDT with aminolevulinc acid (ALA) and escalating light doses was evaluated for high-grade dysplasia, carcinoma-in-situ, and microinvasive carcinomas of the H&N.

Extended Pleurectomy-Decortication-Based Treatment for Advanced Stage Epithelial Mesothelioma Yielding a Median Survival of Nearly Three Years.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess survival for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), epithelial subtype, utilizing extended pleurectomy-decortication combined with intraoperative photodynamic therapy (PDT) and adjuvant pemetrexed-based chemotherapy.

Methods: From 2005 to 2013, 90 patients underwent lung-sparing surgery and PDT for MPM. All patients had a preoperative diagnosis of epithelial subtype, of which 17 proved to be of mixed histology.

Toxicities and early outcomes in a phase 1 trial of photodynamic therapy for premalignant and early stage head and neck tumors.

Objectives: Management of early superficial lesions in the head and neck remains complex. We performed a phase 1 trial for high-grade premalignant and early superficial lesions of the head and neck using photodynamic therapy (PDT) with Levulan (ALA).

Materials And Methods: Thirty-five subjects with high grade dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, or microinvasive (⩽1.