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Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in malignant pleural mesothelioma: a possible guardian for long-term survival

Authors Zarogoulidis P, Mavroudi, Porpodis K, Domvri K, Sakkas L, Machairiotis N, Stylianaki, Tsiotsios A, Courcoutsakis N, Zarogoulidis K

Received 11 August 2012

Accepted for publication 30 August 2012

Published 27 September 2012 Volume 2012:5 Pages 231—236

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/OTT.S36915

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2



Paul Zarogoulidis,1,2 Maria Mavroudi,1 Konstantinos Porpodis,1 Kalliopi Domvri,1 Antonios Sakkas,3 Nikolaos Machairiotis,1 Aikaterini Stylianaki,1 Anastasios Tsiotsios,1 Nikolaos Courcoutsakis,4 Konstantinos Zarogoulidis1

1Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, “G Papanikolaou” General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Pulmonary Department-Interventional Unit, Ruhrland Klinik, University of Essen, Essen, Germany; 3Department of Pathology, “G Papanikolaou” General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 4Department of Radiology, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece


Abstract: Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive malignancy of the pleura correlated with exposure to asbestos, with a medium survival of 11–12 months after diagnosis. A case of a 67-year-old male who had previously worked in the asbestos industry and is a current smoker is reported. The computed tomography evaluation revealed a right pleural mass with pleural thickening, and the pleural biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma. He was treated with chemotherapy consisting of etoposide, paclitaxel, and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride. After completion of chemotherapy, radiologic evaluation confirmed a reduction of pleural thickening and improvement in his symptoms. A complete presentation of each drug formulation and characteristics are also included in this paper. The patient’s follow-up is continuing, and computed tomography reveals stable disease 9 years after initial examination.

Keywords: mesothelioma, asbestos, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin

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