What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 520 patients with mesothelioma. The study was sponsored by Canadian Cancer Trials 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 rose from 16.1 to 17.3 months adding pembrolizumab.
The Lancet · 2023 · NCT02784171
These findings — that median survival on pembrolizumab + chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy alone in mesothelioma — were published in the The Lancet and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 520 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
Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) is FDA-approved for mesothelioma when combined with chemotherapy and is available now. The other approved first-line option is the nivolumab + ipilimumab immunotherapy combination. Ask a thoracic oncologist which fits your case.
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
Clinical Utility of Portable Dynamic Chest X Ray (DDR) in the ICU
Dynamic digital radiography (DDR) is a new advanced version of chest radiography that captures dynamic images at a rate of 15 frames per second. It is coupled with an analytical software that allows it to provide more advanced measures of lung motion, ventilation, and perfusion compared to traditional chest radiography. While implementation of DDR fixed machines are beginning elsewhere in the US, this trial involves the first applications of an FDA-approved portable DDR machine, for use at the bedside in the ICU. The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the feasibility and safety of portable DDR technology in the ICU, as well as to evaluate the improved clinical diagnostic value of the portable DDR system over current standards of care. Participants will receive one to three sets of DDR images, which will then be compared to their clinical gold standard exams (such as chest x-rays, CTs, or VQ scans) to assess and improve the precision and accuracy of measurements such as diaphragmatic motion, lung movement, and perfusion.
Phase 1 Study of MRTX1719 in Solid Tumors With MTAP Deletion
This is a Phase 1, open-label, multicenter, study of the safety, tolerability, PK, PD, and anti-tumor activity of MRTX1719 patients with advanced, unresectable or metastatic solid tumor malignancy with homozygous deletion of the MTAP gene.