Drug Ther Bull. 2006 Oct;44(10):77-80. doi: 10.1136/dtb.2006.441077.
Mesothelioma is a cancer that originates in the pleura or, more rarely, the peritoneum, and is almost always due to exposure to asbestos fibres. It is typically fatal, with a median survival of about 8-14 months after diagnosis. Conventional treatment options have not improved this poor outlook. Also, the number of deaths attributable to malignant mesothelioma has been rising rapidly in the UK since the late 1960s, and is set to peak at about 1,950-2,450 per year between 2011 and 2015. It is against this background that pemetrexed (pronounced pe-me-treks-ed) (Alimta - Lilly) has recently become available for use with cisplatin for the treatment of patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma who have not previously been treated with chemotherapy. Currently, this is the only chemotherapy regimen licensed for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma in the UK. Here we review the care of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, focusing on what, if anything, pemetrexed might offer such individuals.
间皮瘤是一种起源于胸膜的癌症，较少情况下起源于腹膜，几乎总是由接触石棉纤维所致。它通常是致命的，诊断后的中位生存期约为8至14个月。传统的治疗方法并未改善这种糟糕的预后。此外，自20世纪60年代末以来，英国因恶性间皮瘤导致的死亡人数一直在迅速上升，预计在2011年至2015年期间将达到每年约1950至2450人的峰值。正是在这样的背景下，培美曲塞（发音为pe-me-treks-ed）（商品名：力比泰 - 礼来公司）最近已可与顺铂联合用于治疗此前未接受过化疗的不可切除恶性胸膜间皮瘤患者。目前，这是英国唯一获批用于恶性胸膜间皮瘤患者的化疗方案。在此，我们回顾恶性胸膜间皮瘤患者的护理情况，重点关注培美曲塞可能为这些患者带来的作用。
