What the trial was testing
The ATOMIC-MESO enrolled 249 patients with mesothelioma. The study was sponsored by Polaris Group and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was mid-stage testing (phase 2/3). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
Median survival was 9.3 months with the new combo versus 7.7 months with standard chemotherapy alone.
JAMA oncology · 2024 · NCT02709512
These findings — that patients lived 9.3 months on average with the new combo versus 7.7 months with standard treatment — were published in the JAMA oncology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 249 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with mesothelioma, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
If you have nonepithelioid mesothelioma, this combination showed meaningful survival benefit in a large trial. The treatment is not yet FDA-approved, but these results are promising. Ask your oncologist whether this approach or similar clinical trials are available to you.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open mesothelioma trials
Impact of Cardiac Coherence on Anxiety in Patients Operated on for a Peritoneal Carcinosis
The investigator proposes to use the cardiac coherence technique to diminish anxiety before the surgery of a peritoneal carcinosis of colon or stomach or ovary and pseudomyxoma or peritoneal mesothelioma.
The Diagnostic Accuracy and Clinical Value of FAPI PET in Pleural Mesothelioma
Seventy (N=70) patients with suspected pleural mesothelioma (PM) lesions referred to pleural biopsy will be recruited, and undergo an additional FAPI PET/CT at primary staging. The FAPI PET/CT results will be compared to conventional imaging (including FDG PET/CT). The diagnostic accuracy will be determined with histopathology as reference standard. For patients undergoing anticancer treatment (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, other treatment), an additional FAPI PET/CT and an additional FDG PET/CT will be conducted after the study subjects have completed 2-3 series of anticancer treatment. The feasabilitiy of FAPI PET/CT in response evaluation will be investigated. All study specific analyzes will be blinded and will not influence the patient management / treatment.