Review of nintedanib plus pemetrexed/cisplatin in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma: phase II results from the randomized, placebo-controlled LUME-Meso trial

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer of the pleura associated with asbestos exposure. MPM accounts for 10 cases/million in USA and up to 29 per million in Australia and UK (1). Although MPM has reached a plateau in USA (2), MPM is expected to peak in 2020 for Europe due to the long latency period between asbestos exposure and diagnosis (30–50 years), and use of asbestos until 1970 (3). Asbestos is not banned worldwide, mining and use continue in countries like China, India, Russia and Kazakhstan, which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) could lead to asbestos related diseases and MPM of epidemic proportion into the next decade (4).