A Phase 1 safety study of single-agent immunotherapy drug, Avelumab, combined with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) was well-tolerated by mesothelioma patients with no severe side effects. The study was led by researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and conducted on a small group of patients who progressed on prior chemotherapy treatment.

Radiation therapy is considered highly effective at precisely targeting tumors. While monoclonal antibody Avelumab has demonstrated modest efficacy in mesothelioma. The safety of combining both treatments was previously unknown. With these findings, researchers will hopefully advance the study into later phases.

To date, there is still no standard approach for second-line therapy after initial progression in mesothelioma. Research into second-line therapy treatments continues to test new therapeutic approaches and show promising results.