Most clinical trials experimenting with novel treatments focus on pleural mesothelioma, due to the higher incidence rates and poorer prognosis. Peritoneal mesothelioma often gets little attention.

One study combining two mesothelioma immunotherapy drugs is the anomaly to that truth.

Researchers from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, are analyzing the effects of atezolizumab and bevacizumab. Atezolizumab is an anti-PD-L1 drug, and bevacizumab is an anti-VEGF treatment.

Together they are called AtezoBev, and they showed promising results in a recent phase 2 clinical trial.

If you want to learn more about peritoneal mesothelioma treatment options, reach out to our medical staff. Our registered nurse, Jenna Campagna, can provide insight into the best methods for treating your individual diagnosis. Email her at jenna@mesotheliomaguide.com.

The standard treatment for peritoneal mesothelioma is cytoreduction with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). According to numerous studies, this approach can lead to survival times of between three and five years.

However, mesothelioma recurrence is frequent due to the makeup of the disease. Microscopic tumors fill the peritoneum, which is the small membrane covering the abdominal cavity, along with the abdominal cavity itself. Removing all of them during surgery is challenging.

Additionally, some patients might not be eligible for cytoreduction with HIPEC. Their cancer may resist traditional chemotherapy, which is typical for mesothelioma. Any treatment that may reduce tumor size prior to surgery or extend life for non-surgical patients should be investigated.

The atezolizumab and bevacizumab study included many types of cancers, including both peritoneal mesothelioma and pleural mesothelioma. It involved 160 patients, of which 20 had peritoneal mesothelioma. Patients received both atezolizumab and bevacizumab for 60 minutes once every three weeks, so long as the disease did not progress.

The American Society of Clinical Oncology analyzed the effectiveness of AtezoBev just among those 20 participants with peritoneal mesothelioma. Seven of the 20 (35%) experienced at least a minimal reduction in tumor size, which surpasses the original goal of just 11%.

Long-term follow-ups showed substantial benefits of AtezoBev:

Atezolizumab and bevacizumab work in distinctly different ways, but they have the same goal: mesothelioma cell death.

Atezolizumab prevents a connection that helps mesothelioma cells survive. These infected cells have a protein called PD-L1, which can subdue the bodys T-cells. These disease-fighting cells have the protein PD-1. When the two protein receptors link, the T-cells are inhibited from accurately assessing mesothelioma cells as dangerous.

Atezolizumab breaks this link and acts as a wall between the receptors. Its presence allows the T-cells to recognize mesothelioma cells as dangerous.

Bevacizumab, the generic name for the brand drug Avastin, subdues another mesothelioma protein called VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor). This protein stimulates the creation of new blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis.

All cells, even cancerous ones, need to receive oxygen and nutrients to survive. Making new blood vessels is how mesothelioma tumors grow and spread through the body. Bevacizumab blocks this protein and can prevent mesothelioma cells from receiving oxygen and nutrients.

Show Sources & Author

Devin Golden is the content writer for Mesothelioma Guide. He produces mesothelioma-related content on various mediums, including the Mesothelioma Guide website and social media channels. Devin's objective is to translate complex information regarding mesothelioma into informative, easily absorbable content to help patients and their loved ones.

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Immunotherapy Combination Proving Effective for Peritoneal Mesothelioma - Mesothelioma Guide