Closing faucets: the role of anti-angiogenic therapies in malignant pleural diseases

Abstract Malignant pleural effusion (MPE) represents 15–35 % of pleural effusions and markedly worsens the prognosis and quality of life of patients with cancer. Malignant mesothelioma (MM) and lung adenocarcinoma are the most frequent primary and secondary causes, respectively, of MPE. Effective treatments for cancer-related MPE are warranted in order to improve symptoms, reduce the number of invasive pleural procedures, and prolong patient life. Since angiogenesis plays a key role in MPE development, the potential role of bevacizumab and other anti-angiogenic therapies have been explored in this review. No relevant phase III trials have specifically analysed the benefit from adding bevacizumab to platinum-based chemotherapy in lung cancer-related MPE. However, small retro...

from MedWorm: Mesothelioma http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=158894208&cid=c_409_6_f&fid=35920&url=http%3A%2F%2Flink.springer.com%2F10.1007%2Fs12094-015-1464-y