Author: Alex Strauss

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    Immunotherapy May Improve Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    A treatment designed to inhibit a cell protein called CTLA-4 may improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy for mesothelioma. Chemotherapy is considered a front-line treatment for mesothelioma, although it is only moderately effective.  Because mesothelioma is a highly aggressive cancer of the mesothelium, chemotherapy is often used as part of a multimodality therapeutic approach. Increasingly, immunotherapy, which involves manipulation of the genes and immune system, is also part of the treatment approach. CTLA-4 is the name for both a protein and the gene that is responsible for producing it.  A recent published study tested the theory that knocking down cellular production of the CTLA-4 protein could slow tumor growth and stimulate the immune system between rounds of chemotherapy. To test the…

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    High Dose Radiation: Viable for Mesothelioma?

    ByAlex Strauss

    Radiation therapy may be a better option for mesothelioma than it used to be – especially when it is delivered using advanced targeting technology. That is the message presented recently to thousands of the world’s lung cancer specialists at the European Lung Cancer Conference by a team of Australian researchers. Observing that many mesothelioma patients are not candidates for surgery and chemotherapy provides poor local control with serious toxicities, Dr. Malcolm Fiegen and his team analyzed the effectiveness of high dose radiation treatments for mesothelioma patients from 2003 to 2011. In the past, high-dose radiation has often been dismissed as a viable treatment option for mesothelioma because the irregular shape of mesothelioma tumors made it difficult to avoid toxic overdoses to healthy…

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    Australian Study Reveals New Mesothelioma Biomarker

    ByAlex Strauss

    A large multi-center Australian study has revealed what researchers say could be an important new biomarker for malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a virulent cancer of internal body membranes usually caused by exposure to asbestos. As with other cancers, mesothelioma cells produce certain compounds at higher levels than healthy cells do. Micro RNAs, or miRNAs, are short chains of ribonucleic acid, some of which are produced in abundance by cancer cells. Using miRNA microarrays, the Australian researchers profiled plasma samples from patients with malignant mesothelioma and from healthy controls. After reviewing 90 miRNAs previously associated with mesothelioma, they found two – miR-29c and miR-92a – in particularly high amounts. Further testing found a total of 15 novel miRNAs in the plasma of…

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    Pleurodesis May Impact Mesothelioma Scan Results

    ByAlex Strauss

    Mesothelioma patients who undergo a procedure called talc pleurodesis (TP) for excess lung fluid may be harder to monitor with FDG-PET/CT scans afterward. Talc pleurodesis is a procedure used to manage pleura effusions, the build-up of fluid around the lungs that causes many of the most uncomfortable symptoms of malignant pleural mesothelioma. As a mesothelioma tumor spreads across the pleural lining, the body often produces fluid in response.  As this fluid fills up the pleural cavity between the mesothelial lining and the lungs it can cause pain and make it hard for the mesothelioma patient to breath. Draining the fluid and filling the space with medical-grade talc is one way to deal with the problem. But a new study suggests that…

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    Mesothelioma Added to 9/11 Compensation Fund

    ByAlex Strauss

    New Yorkers and first responders at risk of mesothelioma and other cancers because of 9/11 toxic exposures are now in line for compensation if they need it. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) this week added mesothelioma and 49 other cancers to the list of conditions covered under a $4.3 billion dollar compensation fund created by the 2010 Zadroga Act. The fund was set up to cover medical bills and other expenses for people who contracted serious health conditions after the 9/11 attacks.  Until this week, cancer, including mesothelioma, was not on the list of covered conditions. Hundreds of rescue workers including police, firefighters and EMS workers, as well as people in and around the World Trade Center towers…

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    Advocacy Groups Call for Global Asbestos Ban

    ByAlex Strauss

    A British organization established to support victims of mesothelioma is joining the call for a total ban on the substance that causes it. The National Asbestos Helpline is a national clearing house set up to support patients with mesothelioma and other asbestos-linked diseases and their families.  Because so many British homes and buildings were constructed when asbestos use was at its peak in the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s, Great Britain has one of the highest per capita rates of mesothelioma in the world.  Mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer, is caused by inhalation or ingestion of airborne asbestos fibers. In spite of the risk, asbestos is still used as an inexpensive building product and insulator around the world.  Now, as part of its support…

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    Drug Combo Fails to Improve Mesothelioma Survival

    ByAlex Strauss

    Adding the VEGF-inhibitor bevacizumab to a popular chemotherapy combination for mesothelioma does not appear to prolong survival after all. Scientists at 11 of the nation’s top cancer centers have reached that conclusion after a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled test of the combination. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors (VEGF) are signal proteins produced by cells that play an important role in the formation of blood vessels and in cell growth and division. Some VEGF-inhibitors have shown activity against malignant mesothelioma in preclinical models. Bevacizumab is a popular VEGF-inhibitor. The theory behind the multi-center clinical trial was that adding bevacizumab to the mesothelioma combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin would boost the effectiveness of the drugs and prolong survival. Mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by exposure to…

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    Orphan Drug Shows Survival Advantage in Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    Long-term follow-up on a second-line drug for mesothelioma confirms its potential for prolonging survival. NGR-hTNF is a vascular targeting agent that appears to be able to seek out tumor cells and disrupt their blood vessel formation. It is currently the only drug in Phase III clinical trials specifically for mesothelioma patients whose disease has returned after chemotherapy. Presenting at the recent meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the drug’s maker, Italy-based MolMed S.p.A., said three year follow-up on Phase II mesothelioma trial subjects demonstrated a definite survival advantage among those who received the drug. Because it combines a peptide (NGR) with a cytokine (TNF), the NGR-hTNF is classified as a peptide/cytokine complex.  In Phase II clinical trials, its…

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    New Molecule May Aid Mesothelioma Diagnosis

    ByAlex Strauss

    Scientists at one of the nation’s top cancer centers say they have come up with a new imaging tool that may make it easier to diagnose and monitor mesothelioma. Mesothelioma, a cancer that attacks the membranes encasing the lungs or abdominal organs, is caused by exposure to airborne asbestos. It is a very challenging cancer to treat and most patients explore conventional therapies, clinical trials and integrative modalities. Mesothelioma symptoms, which can include shortness of breath, fatigue, coughing and chest pain, can mimic other illnesses, including lung cancer. Their sheet-like shape can also make mesothelioma tumors difficult to see on imaging studies. Just as treatment is usually multi-faceted, physicians often must use multiple methods to diagnose mesothelioma. One of the most popular…

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    States Wrestle with Legal Side of Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    Recent changes in the way some states handle mesothelioma lawsuits may eventually have an impact nationwide. In Pennsylvania, the state Supreme Court has voted unanimously to reject the scientific theory that even a small amount of asbestos can trigger asbestos diseases such as mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a virulent cancer whose only known cause is exposure to the mineral asbestos. The Environmental Protection Agency has said there is no safe level of exposure, however scientific evidence suggests that risk of mesothelioma increases with increased asbestos exposure. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision means that plaintiffs in mesothelioma cases can no longer argue that exposure as small as a single fiber of asbestos could have triggered their disease. Instead, the court ruled that mesothelioma lawsuits…