NIBIT-MESO-1: limitations and clinical perspectives in MPM treatment testing an immune checkpoint blockade combination in a single-arm study

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), which is linked to asbestos exposure and is a rare, lethal disease of the serosal membrane in the chest, has an incidence which continues to increase worldwide (1,2). MPM is histologically classified into three major subtypes: epithelioid, biphasic (or mixed) and sarcomatoid. Notwithstanding these well-defined MPM histological subtypes, there are tremendous differences in clinical outcomes including long-term survival in patients whose tumor histology is indistinguishable from conventional, highly aggressive MPM.