A recent study published in the British medical journal Lancet, analyzed the impact of chemotherapy on active symptom control treatment in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients. The reason for the study, according to the researchers, is that active symptom control is commonly recommended for managing mesothelioma, but medical researchers and doctors have yet to come to a consensus on the role of chemotherapy in mesothelioma treatment. In an attempt to explain if chemotherapy improved survival rates and quality of life, researchers combined chemotherapy and active symptom control treatments.

A total of 409 participants from the UK and Australia with malignant pleural mesothelioma, were randomly assigned to either active symptom control treatments alone or active control treatments in conjunction with one of two chemotherapy medications. Active symptom control treatments included steroids, bronchodilators, analgesic medications, and palliative radiotherapy. Researchers followed up with patients every 3 to 21 weeks after the random treatment and then every 8 weeks thereafter. The two groups receiving different chemotherapy medication were combined for analysis and compared with the group receiving only active symptom control treatment.

Researchers found that the group receiving chemotherapy with active symptom control methods received only a small, non-significant survival benefit compared with the group receiving only active symptom control treatment. Moreover, researchers found no difference among the groups when it came to quality of life among the patients.

In conclusion, researchers believe the addition of chemotherapy to active symptom control presents no significant benefit or advances in survival rates or quality of life in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients.