Author: Alex Strauss

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    Mesothelioma May be Triggered by Suppressed ‘Natural Killer’ Cells

    ByAlex Strauss

    A group of Japanese scientists are offering some new insights into the mechanism by which the toxic mineral asbestos may trigger mesothelioma. For decades asbestos has been linked to malignant mesothelioma, a fast-growing cancer of the mesothelial lining around the lungs and internal organs. But only in recent years have researchers begun to understand the complex physiological responses that give rise to the disease. Because mesothelioma can take 30 years or more to develop symptoms, some scientists have concluded that there is more at work in mesothelioma than the ‘tumorigenicity’ (cancer-inducing properties) of asbestos. Now, researchers from the Kawasaki Medical School in Japan have shown that, in addition to causing cellular inflammation, asbestos may also effectively ‘turn off’ the body’s…

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    Mixed Results for Mesothelioma From Targeted Therapies

    ByAlex Strauss

    A review of recent clinical trials on various targeted therapies for malignant mesothelioma indicates that, while some are helpful, none are likely to become standard treatments yet. In an article in the international journal Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology, a pair of Danish researchers reported their analysis of 32 clinical trials on 17 different targeted agents for mesothelioma. A targeted agent is a medication that takes aim at a specific cellular function within mesothelioma tumor cells. Some inhibit proteins needed for growth or replication. Others may attack the formation of blood vessels or other structures that feed the cancer cells. The extensive look at clinical trials of these targeted agents found that, overall, those that were used as a first-line treatment…

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    New Treatments Offer Hope for Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    A new published review of standard and investigational treatments for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) offers some hopeful news for mesothelioma patients. The article, published in Current Oncology Reports, analyzes an array of mesothelioma treatments, from new and existing chemotherapy drugs and new radiotherapy techniques to advances in immunotherapy and gene therapy. Chemotherapy The authors note that, although the chemotherapy combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed continues to be the preferred first-line treatment for mesothelioma, the newer combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin has also proven effective, especially in combination with the surgical procedure called extrapleural pneumonectomy and thoracic radiation. Other studies have also confirmed the value of the gemcitabine/cisplatin combination in Phase 2 clinical trials for inoperable mesothelioma. Radiation On the radiotherapy…

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    Mesothelioma IMRT More Effective Than Conventional Radiation

    ByAlex Strauss

    Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT) appears to be the most effective and safest type of radiotherapy for treating mesothelioma patients after surgery. A new study published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology says IMRT has advantages over conventional radiotherapy when used as part of a multi-modality approach to combat mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma, the asbestos-linked cancer, can take 20 to 40 years to develop but once it does, it often grows quickly. No single therapy has been shown to be universally effective at combating mesothelioma. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that the most effective approach involves removing as many cancer cells as possible through a radical surgery called extrapleural pneumonectomy, and following the surgery with a combination of chemotherapy and…

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    More Than Thirty Mesothelioma Clinical Trials Are Underway

    ByAlex Strauss

    Clinical trials are human studies of new drugs and treatments to determine whether or not they should be approved by the FDA. Clinical trials for mesothelioma are ongoing, primarily at major medical centers around the country. Because mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer, many trials are focused on ways to detect it earlier and treat it more effectively with various combinations of therapies. Although participation in a mesothelioma trial may sound like a good way to connect with promising new treatments, not every mesothelioma patient is a candidate. Because clinical trials are established with specific goals, most have very specific guidelines as to the type of patients they are willing to treat. For example, some trials only accept patients who have…

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    New Mesothelioma Biomarker May Also Improve Treatment

    ByAlex Strauss

    A study conducted by a group of San Francisco researchers suggests that a new biomarker may help make chemotherapy drugs more effective for mesothelioma patients. A biomarker is a substance present in tumor cells that can help doctors identify cancer.  Biomarkers are especially important in mesothelioma, a virulent cancer of the mesothelium, because it can be so difficult to diagnose.  Now, medical researchers at the University of California who have been studying melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) have found it to be an even more precise biomarker than mesothelin, the most common biomarker used to diagnose mesothelioma. MCAM is already being used to help identify other types of cancer including ovarian cancer and certain skin cancers. Unlike mesothelin, which is present in…

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    German Mesothelioma Treatment Keeps U.K. Man Alive

    ByAlex Strauss

    An advanced new mesothelioma treatment developed in Germany is credited for keeping a British man alive – four times longer than he was expected to live. Sixty-five year old Keith Turnbull of Hertfordshire contracted mesothelioma in 2008 because of asbestos from his father’s worth clothes. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that is highly resistant to traditional treatments. At the time of his diagnosis, doctors did not expect Turnbull to live beyond six months. But after 13 trips to Germany to received transarterial chemoembolization, Turnbull is still alive, two and a half years later. Transarterial chemoembolization, pioneered by German Professor Thomas Vogl of the J.W. Goethe University Hospital in Frankfurt, attacks tumors from two directions – simultaneously cutting off their blood…

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    Surgery is Inappropriate for Some Mesothelioma Patients

    ByAlex Strauss

    Patients with non-epithelial mesothelioma and lymph node involvement are poor candidates for the extensive surgical procedure known as extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), according to a new study. That’s the finding of a new article published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology. Researchers from the Baird Institute for Applied Heart and Lung Surgical Research in Sydney, Australia analyzed the current literature on EPP for malignant pleural mesothelioma. They examined the patient selection process and overall survival of surgical patients in major referral centers where EPP is performed. The most serious of the asbestos cancers, mesothelioma tends to spread quickly and is notoriously resistant to standard treatments. Clinical trials across the globe have confirmed that the best mesothelioma outcomes are seen in patients…

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    Mesothelioma Causing Mine May Reopen in Canada

    ByAlex Strauss

    Mine that causes mesothelioma will probably stay open. A spokesman for the Canadian Cancer Society says his organization is “deeply disappointed” that the government of Quebec has decided in favor of helping the Jeffrey asbestos mine stay in operation. According to Canadian media reports, the government has agreed to the $58 million dollar loan guarantee that was needed to help secure international funding and keep the chrysotile asbestos mine open. But the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Medical Association, and other health organizations had argued vehemently against the move, citing evidence that asbestos causes deadly malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure. Not only are Canadians who work or live around the Jeffrey mine in Quebec at risk for…

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    Mesothelioma Rare in the Pre-Asbestos Age

    ByAlex Strauss

    If there was any doubt about the direct causal connection between asbestos and the aggressive cancer known as mesothelioma, a new report published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine should put it to rest for good. Researchers from the Department of Pathology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York analyzed the data on the incidence of malignant pleural mesothelioma prior to the widespread commercial use of asbestos.  Although most mesothelioma is known to be linked to occupational asbestos exposure, the scientific community has been divided about whether or not mesothelioma can occur, even without a triggering irritant like asbestos. To answer the question, the team analyzed 2,025 autopsies performed at Mount Sinai Hospital between 1883 and 1910, prior…