Author: Alex Strauss

Immune Systems | Immunotherapy | International | New Drugs | New Studies | Research | Treatments

Second-Line Immunotherapy Treatment Fails to Improve Mesothelioma Survival
ByAlex Strauss July 23, 2017

A large international clinical trial of the immunotherapy drug tremelimumab as a second- or third-line treatment option for malignant mesothelioma has produced some disappointing news. Drug maker AstraZeneca has just released an update on the ongoing DETERMINE trial which suggests that the survival rates are roughly the same for previously-treated mesothelioma patients whether they later received treatment with tremelimumab or a placebo. What is Tremelimumab? Cancer cells have the unique ability to thwart the immune system. Tremelimumab is a monoclonal antibody designed to disrupt that ability. It does this by binding to the protein CTLA-4 on the surface of white blood cells, preventing the protein from inhibiting the body’s normal cancer-fighting power. By disabling CTLA-4, tremelimumab is supposed to stimulate…

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Australia | Mesothelioma | New Studies | Radiation Therapy | Research | Statistics | Treatments

High Dose Radiotherapy Not Recommended for Managing Mesothelioma Symptoms
ByAlex Strauss July 21, 2017

High dose radiotherapy may work wonders for some kinds of cancer but it is not recommended as a way to manage the symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. That word comes from a group of mesothelioma experts in one of the world’s mesothelioma hot spots – Melbourne, Australia. Australia has the dubious distinction of having one of the highest rates of malignant mesothelioma in the world due to its long history of asbestos mining and exportation. Although the country banned all uses of asbestos in 2003, many people are still suffering the effects of exposure that happened decades ago, which now makes Australia one of the top places in the world for mesothelioma research. Radiotherapy for Palliation of Mesothelioma Symptoms Mesothelioma grows on…

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Multi-Modality Therapy | New Studies | Radiation Therapy | Research | Treatments

IMRT “Feasible and Effective” for Pleural Mesothelioma
ByAlex Strauss July 17, 2017

When malignant pleural mesothelioma patients receive radiation therapy in the form of IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy) at an experienced institution, the treatment can be both feasible and effective. That is the conclusion of Dr. Kenneth Rosenzweig, Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Rosenzweig is the author of a new summary of radiation therapy in the treatment of pleural mesothelioma published in a recent issue of the Annals of Translational Medicine. The Evolution of Radiation Therapy for Mesothelioma Radiotherapy involves sending high doses of radiation into cancer cells with the goal of damaging their DNA so that it is harder for them to replicate and form tumors. Although radiotherapy has…

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Chemotherapy | International | Multi-Modality Therapy | New Drugs | New Studies | Research | Treatments

Study to Test New Three-Drug Treatment for Pleural Mesothelioma
ByAlex Strauss July 14, 2017July 14, 2017

The makers of a VEGF-inhibitor called nintedanib are recruiting patients with unresectable pleural mesothelioma for a Phase III clinical trial of the drug in combination with standard chemotherapy. The multicenter trial sponsored by drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim will eventually include a total of 450 mesothelioma patients, but preliminary results from the first 87 patients look promising. According to data presented at the 2017 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, adding nintedanib to pemetrexed and cisplatin improved the progression-free survival of pleural mesothelioma patients by almost four months over placebo. In a 2016 study that went by the acronym ‘MAPS’, French researchers found that giving another VEGF inhibitor, called bevacizumab, along with pemetrexed and cisplatin lowered the risk of death from malignant mesothelioma…

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Alternatives | Research | Treatments | Vaccine | Virus

Mayo Researchers Fight Mesothelioma with Measles Virus
ByAlex Strauss July 11, 2017

The same virus that can make unvaccinated children come down with spots and fevers may provide the basis for a powerful new weapon against the intractable cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma. New research being conducted at the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic suggests that a strain of the measles virus called MV-Edm (the Edmonston strain) has the unique ability to not only target and kill lab-grown malignant mesothelioma cells, but to also spare normal cells, reducing the risk of treatment-related side effects. How MV-Edm Targets Mesothelioma Cells The ability of a therapy to selectively target cancer cells is the hallmark of a promising mesothelioma treatment. Current therapies, including the gold standard chemotherapy combination of pemetrexed and cisplatin, can cause…

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Asbestos | Diagnosis | Europe | Genetics | International | Research | Statistics

BAP1 May Not Be The Only Gene to Increase Mesothelioma RIsk
ByAlex Strauss July 9, 2017

The question of why some asbestos-exposed people develop malignant mesothelioma and others do not has been a key focus of mesothelioma research for more than a decade. We now know that a mutation in the BAP1 gene can predispose certain people to several types of cancer, including mesothelioma. This is known as BAP1 cancer syndrome. Without the BAP1 tumor-suppressing protein to keep it at bay, malignant mesothelioma is more likely to occur. But a new study suggests that BAP1 is not the only genetic mutation that can make people more susceptible to the toxic effects of asbestos. Researchers with several top Italian universities have identified ten different genetic variants that may play a role in the development of pleural or…

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Alternatives | Europe | Holistic | International | New Drugs | New Studies | Research | Treatments

Chamomile Tea May Hold the Secret to Longer Mesothelioma Survival
ByAlex Strauss July 5, 2017

A new study suggests that a flavonoid found in parsley, celery, and chamomile tea may help improve the odds of surviving malignant mesothelioma. Scientists in Italy have just released some promising findings from tests of the compound apigenin on mesothelioma cells in the lab and in live mice. What is Apigenin? Apigenin is a plant pigment that is part of a larger group of chemicals called polyphenols found in fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids are one of the largest nutrient families with over 6,000 having been identified. Apigenin has been the focus of a number of laboratory experiments and animal studies, although its effects on human health are still relatively unknown. The new Italian study is the first to examine apigenin’s…

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Asbestos | Biopsy | Diagnosis | Europe | International | New Studies | Occupations | Research | Statistics

New Mesothelioma Study: Asbestos Fiber Burden Does Not Decline With Time
ByAlex Strauss July 3, 2017

Mesothelioma has one of the longest latency periods of any disease. It is not unusual for patients to develop the asbestos cancer many decades after their last exposure to asbestos. Now, a new German study offers a more detailed explanation of why that is. Although the body is adept at ridding itself of many kinds of toxins, when asbestos fibers are inhaled or swallowed, their shape and size allow them to stay in the tissue indefinitely, causing inflammation that can eventually trigger malignant mesothelioma. The new study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, is the first to study to level of asbestos fibers in the tissue of several individuals over time. It proves that, contrary to some theories, the fiber…

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New Drugs | New Studies | Research | Treatments

Osteoporosis Drug May Help Treat Advanced Mesothelioma, Too
ByAlex Strauss June 30, 2017

A drug normally used to treat and prevent osteoporosis may be useful in the treatment of advanced malignant mesothelioma, too. The drug, called zoledronic acid, is a member of the drug class bisphosphonates and is also used to prevent skeletal fractures in patients with certain kinds of cancer. In a new study published in the journal Lung Cancer, University of Alabama researchers found that more than a third of mesothelioma patients treated with zoledronic acid saw some benefit from it and none of them experienced any serious side effects. Testing Zoledronic Acid for Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma is a fast-growing cancer of internal membranes caused by exposure to asbestos. Conventional cancer therapies do not typically work well for mesothelioma and researchers are…

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Alternatives | Asia | Chemotherapy | International | New Drugs | New Studies | Research | Treatments

Compound in Broccoli May Enhance Mesothelioma Treatment with Cisplatin
ByAlex Strauss June 27, 2017

There is new evidence that a compound found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage may enhance the anticancer benefits of the platinum-based drug cisplatin in the treatment of pleural mesothelioma. Although malignant mesothelioma is highly resistant to conventional cancer treatments, most mesothelioma patients will receive chemotherapy with cisplatin and pemetrexed (Alimta) as part of a multi-modal approach to treatment. Now, researchers Yoon-Jin and Sang-Han Lee of Korea’s Soonchunhyang University say the isothiocyanate compound sulforaphane could help cisplatin kill more mesothelioma cells with minimal side effects. The Power of Cruciferous Vegetables Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, and cauliflower are rich in anti-cancer compounds. Sulforaphane is an organosulfur compound produced when the plant is damaged, such as from chewing….

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