Author: Alex Strauss

Asia | Immunotherapy | International | New Drugs | Treatments

PD-L1 Inhibitor Nivolumab Works Well in New Mesothelioma Study
ByAlex Strauss March 19, 2020

A study of the PD-L1 inhibitor nivolumab showed “safety and efficacy” in mesothelioma patients who failed with other treatments. Nivolumab is a type of immunotherapy marketed under the brand name Opdivo. It is similar to pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in that it blocks the tumor-promoting protein PD-L1. Nivolumab is most often used for patients with non-small cell lung cancer. A multicenter phase II Japanese study found the PD-L1 inhibitor nivolumab helped a group of pleural mesothelioma patients live longer. Just as importantly, the side effects of the drug were “manageable”. Human Trial of PD-L1 Inhibitor Nivolumab Chemotherapy with pemetrexed (Alimta) and cisplatin is the standard first-line treatment for pleural mesothelioma. But many patients either do not respond to chemotherapy or they stop…

Read More PD-L1 Inhibitor Nivolumab Works Well in New Mesothelioma Study
Immune Systems | Mesothelioma Breaking News | Prevention

Social Distancing for Mesothelioma Patients: Unexpected Upside?
ByAlex Strauss March 16, 2020

As concern about the novel coronavirus spreads around the world, there could be an unexpected upside to social distancing for mesothelioma patients. Social distancing is the recommendation that people not gather in larger groups. Even in smaller settings, the CDC recommends that people stay at least six feet apart from one another to avoid spreading the virus. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by the virus SARS-CoV2. Because humans have not yet built up immunity to SARS-CoV2, it is more likely to make them sick. Mesothelioma patients may have even lower resistance to disease. This is why social distancing for mesothelioma patients is especially important. As people become more aware of the threat to themselves at others, they are less…

Read More Social Distancing for Mesothelioma Patients: Unexpected Upside?
New Drugs | New Studies | Research | Treatments

Possible New Drug for Mesothelioma Gets First FDA Approval
ByAlex Strauss March 15, 2020

A possible new drug for mesothelioma has received FDA approval for the treatment of advanced epithelioid sarcoma. Tazemetostat (Tazverik) is an oral medication made by a company called Epizyme. It is a brand new kind of drug that blocks a protein called EZH2. Tazemetostat is in testing for several different types of cancer, including malignant mesothelioma. The recent FDA approval is an encouraging sign that it could one day be a new drug for mesothelioma. In Search of a New Drug for Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma is one of the most serious consequences of exposure to asbestos. Once asbestos fibers get into the lungs and other tissues, they never leave. Their presence sets up a cascade of cellular reactions that can…

Read More Possible New Drug for Mesothelioma Gets First FDA Approval
Biomarkers | Diagnosis | Europe | Immunotherapy | International | Treatments

Immunotherapy for Pleural Mesothelioma: Biomarkers Urgently Needed
ByAlex Strauss March 13, 2020

A new report says biomarkers are urgently needed to determine which patients would benefit from immunotherapy for pleural mesothelioma. Researchers made the statement in a review of immunotherapy drugs in testing for malignant mesothelioma. They say some of these drugs have proven to be more effective than others for asbestos cancer. But a set of biomarkers would go a long way to funneling patients into the right immunotherapy for pleural mesothelioma. The Status of Immunotherapy for Pleural Mesothelioma Immunotherapy is believed to be the most promising up-and-coming cancer treatment. Immunotherapy treatments harness the strength of the body’s own immune response to attack cancer or help other drugs do so. Like other types of cancer, mesothelioma cells have ways of avoiding…

Read More Immunotherapy for Pleural Mesothelioma: Biomarkers Urgently Needed
Asia | Immunotherapy | International | Treatments

Immunotherapy Prompts “Remarkable Response” in Sarcomatoid Pleural Mesothelioma
ByAlex Strauss March 10, 2020

Japanese doctors are reporting a remarkable response from the immunotherapy drug nivolumab in a patient with sarcomatoid pleural mesothelioma. Sarcomatoid pleural mesothelioma is a very rare form of a rare cancer. It accounts for about 10 percent of cases of malignant mesothelioma. This subtype is typically less responsive to standard treatments than the more common epithelioid variety. But researches at Kyushu Hospital in Fukuoka, Japan say nivolumab turned things around for their patient when the case looked hopeless. How is Sarcomatoid Pleural Mesothelioma DIfferent? Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer of the linings around organs. Pleural mesothelioma grows on the pleural membrane that surrounds the lungs. There are three cell subtypes of mesothelioma. The three subtypes respond differently to mesothelioma treatments….

Read More Immunotherapy Prompts “Remarkable Response” in Sarcomatoid Pleural Mesothelioma
International | New Studies | Research | Surgery | Treatments

Surgery Extends Survival for Patients with Pleural Mesothelioma
ByAlex Strauss March 9, 2020

Patients with pleural mesothelioma who choose to have surgery live longer than those who do not. This applies no matter which kind of surgery they have. That is the conclusion of a Mexican study published in the Annals of Oncology. Doctors with the country’s National Institute for Respiratory Diseases conducted the study. It included 122 pleural mesothelioma patients. The researchers analyzed a wide range of variables like age, sex, asbestos exposure, and overall health. They discovered that the decision to have surgery was one of the most important survival factors in patients with pleural mesothelioma. Treatment Options for Patients with Pleural Mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer with no known cure. It usually occurs in people who have been…

Read More Surgery Extends Survival for Patients with Pleural Mesothelioma
Multi-Modality Therapy | New Studies | Radiation Therapy | Research | Treatments

Targeted Radiotherapy for Mesothelioma May Extend Survival in the Right Patients
ByAlex Strauss March 6, 2020

A meta-analysis conducted by some of the country’s top cancer researchers says targeted radiotherapy for mesothelioma can help some people live longer. It is the first such analysis of targeted radiation after lung-sparing mesothelioma surgery. The team focused on intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). IMRT is more precise than earlier forms of radiation treatment. The new article appears in Practical Radiation Oncology. It is a meta-analysis of ten smaller studies. The researchers conclude that healthier surgery patients could safely consider targeted radiotherapy for mesothelioma. Making Radiotherapy Less Toxic In the past, radiation for mesothelioma has sometimes done more harm than good. Earlier types of radiation treatment were not as precise as IMRT. When radiation spills over into healthy tissue, it…

Read More Targeted Radiotherapy for Mesothelioma May Extend Survival in the Right Patients
Alternatives | Australia | International | Mesothelioma | New Studies | Research

Can These Compounds Protect Against the Toxic Effects of Asbestos?
ByAlex Strauss March 4, 2020

A recent study out of Australia suggests that compounds called zeolites might offer protection against the toxic effects of asbestos. Asbestos is the primary cause of malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer for which there is no cure. There is no way to remove asbestos from the body after a person has been exposed. But the new study suggests that zeolites might counteract some of the toxic effects of asbestos. If the impact can be validated in humans, it could one day change the outcomes for thousands of people at risk for mesothelioma. What Are the Toxic Effects of Asbestos? Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral made up of long microscopic fibers. The size and shape of these…

Read More Can These Compounds Protect Against the Toxic Effects of Asbestos?
Chemotherapy | Europe | International | New Drugs | Treatments

Second Line Mesothelioma Treatment Shot Down in New Study
ByAlex Strauss March 2, 2020

Italian researchers say there is good news and bad news about a proposed second line mesothelioma treatment. The good news is that the treatment did not cause major side effects in the patients who tried it. The bad news is that it also did not help them live any longer. The treatment is a mixture of gemcitabine and imatinib. Animal studies suggested that the combination might improve mesothelioma survival. The newly-published study shows the second line mesothelioma treatment did help control the disease in most patients. But the 23 patients who tried it only lived for a median of 5.7 months. That was not enough for doctors to recommend the combination. Mesothelioma Chemotherapy and Survival The most common first line…

Read More Second Line Mesothelioma Treatment Shot Down in New Study
Alternatives | Asia | Holistic | International

Herbal Medicine for Mesothelioma Treatment: A Case Report
ByAlex Strauss February 29, 2020

A group of South Korean doctors have published an account of a patient who is keeping his cancer at bay with herbal medicine for mesothelioma. The man elected not to undergo the radical surgery known as extrapleural pneumonectomy. He tried Korean herbal medicine for mesothelioma with the understanding that he would switch to chemotherapy if his condition got worse. After nearly two years on the herbal combination alone, doctors say his cancer has not progressed. The case is significant because mesothelioma often claims the lives of patients within a year of diagnosis. What is Korean Herbal Medicine for Mesothelioma? Traditional Korean herbal medicine dates back more than 3000 years. This alternative health practice has a strong mind-body component. It also…

Read More Herbal Medicine for Mesothelioma Treatment: A Case Report

1 (888) 378-1331

Author: Alex Strauss

PD-L1 Inhibitor Nivolumab Works Well in New Mesothelioma Study

Possible New Drug for Mesothelioma Gets First FDA Approval

Immunotherapy for Pleural Mesothelioma: Biomarkers Urgently Needed

Immunotherapy Prompts “Remarkable Response” in Sarcomatoid Pleural Mesothelioma

Surgery Extends Survival for Patients with Pleural Mesothelioma

Targeted Radiotherapy for Mesothelioma May Extend Survival in the Right Patients

Can These Compounds Protect Against the Toxic Effects of Asbestos?

Second Line Mesothelioma Treatment Shot Down in New Study

Herbal Medicine for Mesothelioma Treatment: A Case Report

United States Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNITED STATES

Creighton University School of Medicine, UNITED STATES

David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, UNITED STATES

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, UNITED STATES

Mayo Clinic, UNITED STATES

Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, UNITED STATES

National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, UNITED STATES

University of Chicago, Medical Center, UNITED STATES

University of Maryland School of Medicine, UNITED STATES

University of Hawaii Cancer Center, UNITED STATES

Wake Forest University School of Medicine, UNITED STATES