IMPRINT Technique Successful in Treating Locally Advanced Mesothelioma

A new radiation procedure called intensity-modulated pleural radiation therapy (IMPRINT) can now be safely and effectively combined with lung-sparring surgery to help mesothelioma patients improve their quality of life and survival time. The procedure is now used by a small number of mesothelioma specialty centers after a whole decade of refinement. The phase II study of IMPRINT revealed the procedure has an acceptably low incidence rate of radiation pneumonitis, which is a potential adverse side effect.

Study Results

45 patients were enrolled at either Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York or MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. Patients received up to 4 cycles of chemotherapy with pemetrexed and a platinum agent. Of these 45 patients enrolled:

• 27 patients started hemithoracic IMPRINT
• 9 experienced disease progression before IMPRINT
• 5 refused surgery or IMPRINT
• 2 underwent an extrapleural pneumonectomy at the time of surgery
• 2 had chemotherapy complications
• 26 patients received pemetrexed plus cisplatin
• 18 had pemetrexed plus carboplatin
• 4 received a combination
• 28.9% achieved a partial response
• 33.3% experienced progressive disease
• 1 patient died during chemotherapy, and all others had stable disease
• 8 patients underwent pleurectomy-decortication or an extended version
• 13 underwent a partial pleurectomy-decortication

At a median follow-up of 21.6 months, 6 of the 27 patients who started IMPRINT faced grade II radiation pneumonitis, while 2 of them experienced grade III radiation pneumonitis, but all recovered after the initiation of corticosteroids. There were no grade IV or V radiation-related toxicities observed. Median progression-free survival was 12.4 months and median overall survival was 23.7 months. The 2-year overall survival rate was 59% in patients with resectable and 25% among patients with unresectable tumors.

Thus, combining the hemithoracic IMPRINT procedure with chemotherapy and pleurectomy-decortication creates a new lung-sparing treatment modality for patients with locally-advanced, malignant pleural mesothelioma. Physicians hope that this study will encourage more cancer centers and clinics to embrace the IMPRINT technique.

Helping Patients Find the Best Doctor for Their Condition

At MesotheliomaDr, our primary mission is to help patients find the best doctor and the best hospital for their condition. Through this website, we aim to empower all patients and their loved ones to search for experienced doctors who meet their needs. We also work closely with mesothelioma expert physicians to help build a more dedicated care system for mesothelioma patients.