Background: Pemetrexed-platinum is the standard first line treatment of patients with pleural mesothelioma (PM). Optimal number of chemotherapy cycles is not yet known with certainty.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of the number cycles of 1st-line treatment in PM on results. 

Methods: This is a multicenter study that included 3 institution. Retrospectively, 2020-2025, 64 pts were selected who received 4-6 cycles pemetrexed with platinum without targeted therapy in the 1st line. This study included patients who had experienced disease progression after the first 4 cycles of treatment. The frequency of TFI, PFS and OS were evaluated separately in patients who completed treatment after 4 courses for various reasons (group A) and after 6 cycles (group B). 

Results: A total of 64 pts were included into the current study, 11 pts (15,6%) had progression after 4 cycle. 43 pts continuous treatment up to 6 cycles (arm A) and 11 pts without progression stopped treatment (arm B). TFI (average time without treatment) in arm A – 12,2 mos and arm B – 10,2 mos. Mediana PFS all pts 10,5 mos; arm A – 12 mos; arm B – 6,4 mos. Mediana OS all pts 33,5 mos; arm A – 34 mos; arm B – 29 mos.  

Conclusions: Trial is continuous, but now preliminary data shows six cycles improve the overall survival of PM patients compared to four cycles. We plan to evaluate at least 50 patients in each group

In 2019, he graduated from the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «Rostov State Medical University» of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation Medical Faculty, where he studied on a budgetary basis. From 2022 to July 2024, he was trained in residency programs at the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University (Moscow) with a degree in oncology. 

Since 09/01/2024, I have been a graduate student of the Department of Oncology at the Russian University of Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Since 2024 clinical oncologist in the Federal State Budgetary Institution «N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology» of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation on a budgetary basis.