Researchers are currently studying the success rate of gemcitabine either alone or with other chemotherapy drugs or therapies in patients with mesothelioma.
In a recent clinical study of 161 patients, Italian researchers looked at the use of gemcitabine with or without a monoclonal antibody called ramucirumab as second-line treatment for advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma. Ramucirumab blocks the growth of new blood vessels, which limits the supply of oxygen to the tumor.
The researchers found that the patients who received both drugs had much better outcomes — overall median survival of 13.8 months compared to 7.5 months — than the patients who only received gemcitabine.