Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an incurable cancer associated with exposure to asbestos, and there remains a critical need for effective front-line therapeutics. Inhibition of heatshock protein 90 (Hsp90) has shown promise in preclinical studies. Fennell and colleagues conducted a dose-escalation study of pemetrexed and cisplatin/carboplatin plus ganetespib, an Hsp90 inhibitor, in patients with chemotherapy-naiïve MPM. At the maximum-tolerated dose, 56% showed a partial response, while 83% showed disease control; median progression-free survival was 6.3 months. Patients with tumors harboring epithelioid histology and global loss of heterozygosity benefitted most from this combination. These results support the further development of combination therapies including ganetespib for patients with MPM.

The prognosis of advanced gastric cancer remains dismal, with most patients with advanced disease surviving less than one year. In a multicenter phase II study, Shah and colleagues assessed cabazitaxel, a next generation taxoid, in patients with metastatic gastric cancer. Modest antitumor activity...

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