Maintenance chemotherapy with pemetrexed in epiteliomorfe malignant pleural mesothelioma.

e18545 Background: Maintenance chemotherapy with pemetrexed is not the standard treatment of choice in patients with locally advanced or metastatic epiteliomorfe malignant pleural mesothelioma (EMPM). We would assess the safety and efficacy of a treatment with pemetrexed until progression disease after 4 or 6 cycles of induction therapy with or without platin. Methods: From July 2008 to September 2012, 21 patients (18 males and 3 females with a median age of 67 years range 58-84) with locally advanced or metastatic epiteliomorfe malignant pleural mesothelioma (EMPM) were enrolled. In all patients histology was epiteliomorfe malignant mesothelioma. Only 15 patients (71,4%) had a PS 0 whereas 6 (28,6%) had a PS 1. All patients received an induction therapy with or without platin. Each patient received an average of 5,6 cycles of induction chemotherapy. Then all patients received a maintenance chemotherapy with pemetrexed 500 mg/mq intavenously over 10 minutes every 3 weeks. Each patient received an average ...