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Nivolumab and Combination Chemotherapy before Surgery for the Treatment of Resectable Pleural Malignant Mesothelioma

Trial Status: closed to accrual

This phase I trial studies how well nivolumab and combination chemotherapy before surgery work in treating patients with pleural malignant mesothelioma that can be removed by surgery (resectable). Nivolumab is a type of medication called an antibody, which is like the proteins made by the immune system to protect the body from harm. Nivolumab blocks the protein PD 1 (programmed cell death receptor 1) that usually acts as a “brake” on the immune system. Blocking this protein is like releasing the brakes, so that the immune system can target cancer cells and destroy them. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as pemetrexed, cisplatin, and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells, by stopping them from dividing, or by stopping them from spreading. Giving nivolumab and combination chemotherapy may work better in treating patients with pleural malignant mesothelioma compared to combination chemotherapy alone.