The First FDA-Approved Mesothelioma Drug in 15 Years
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The First FDA-Approved Mesothelioma Drug in 15 Years

ByHolly Zink

On October 2, 2020, the first FDA-approved mesothelioma drug in 15 years hit the market. They approved a new combination of drugs for mesothelioma. The combination of nivolumab with ipilimumab is now considered the first-line treatment. It is the go-to for adult patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. The FDA based approval on results from an open-label clinical trial. The results of a new study show outcomes of Mesothelioma patients over the last 2 years. This often was often six cycles of chemotherapy. Patient survival using this new combination of drugs was an average of 18.1 months. This was an increase from 14.1 months for patients who only received chemotherapy. More clinical pharmacology data also supported an alternative dosing regimen….

Preventing Malignant Mesothelioma through National Asbestos Regulation
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Preventing Malignant Mesothelioma through National Asbestos Regulation

ByHolly Zink

After almost 30 years, one key to preventing malignant mesothelioma is found. A national ban on asbestos in the Netherlands has shown positive effects. Results from a new study show the ban cut malignant mesothelioma incidence. Malignant mesothelioma incidence has peaked about 10 years earlier than predicted. This is after the Dutch national ban on asbestos. Mesothelioma treatment advances have led to somewhat better survival in the Netherlands. But the prognosis is still dismal. National Regulation Can Prevent Malignant Mesothelioma In 1993, a national ban on asbestos went into effect in the Netherlands. This ban was preventing malignant mesothelioma in future generations. Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer. It arises from the pleura or peritoneum due to asbestos exposure. A…

Maximizes Your Immune Cell Response with High-Intensity Exercise
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Maximizes Your Immune Cell Response with High-Intensity Exercise

ByHolly Zink

There is an increasing role of high-intensity exercise training in cancer care. Evidence suggests that exercise can reduce side effects of treatment. And it has the added benefits of improving physical functioning and quality of life. Exercise leads to an increase of adrenalin, which also triggers a patient’s natural immune response. This can alter the tumor microenvironment and lead to reduced tumor growth. New data suggest that exercise could improve immune responses against cancer cells. It works by increasing immune cell infiltration to the tumor. And it may have an impact on disease progression. A new clinical trial has been initiated. It will investigate if high-intensity exercise can benefit patients with lung cancer. Can adrenalin mobilize and increase the infiltration…

New Drug Targeting Fibrosis may Help Mesothelioma Patients
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New Drug Targeting Fibrosis may Help Mesothelioma Patients

ByHolly Zink

Targeting fibrosis has therapeutic benefits in mesothelioma. Most drugs have limited effects in difficult-to-treat cancers such as mesothelioma. Often this is because not enough of the drug can get into the tumor to generate an anti-tumor effect. Fibrosis is a common element of mesothelioma. It causes the area around the cancer to stiffen. Fibrosis acts as a barrier, stopping drugs from getting into the cancer tumor. This limits the immune system’s ability to detect and access the tumor to kill it. A new study is looking at how a family of proteins called lysyl oxidases can help solve this problem. These proteins are associated with fibrosis in many cancers, including mesothelioma. Oncologists targeting fibrosis and this protein family may improve…

Asbestos Exposure During Childhood Can Lead to Mesothelioma
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Asbestos Exposure During Childhood Can Lead to Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Scientists are looking at mesothelioma risk in women exposed to asbestos. Asbestos exposure in women varies. But, environmental and domestic asbestos exposures are common. Oncologists are now asking about childhood environmental and domestic asbestos exposures. A study from the International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health tells more. Forms of Asbestos Exposure: Environmental and Domestic All forms of asbestos are capable of causing cancer in humans. Most asbestos research focuses on malignant mesothelioma. This is aggressive cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. Occupational asbestos exposure is the most common exposure. Workers are exposed to asbestos on the job site or through work-related tasks. Women more often have domestic asbestos exposure. This comes from living with and handling the clothing…

Radiotherapy Outcomes in Mesothelioma Linked to Pembrolizumab
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Radiotherapy Outcomes in Mesothelioma Linked to Pembrolizumab

ByHolly Zink

Canadian researchers say radiotherapy may hold the key to improving outcomes in mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a fast-growing membrane cancer caused by asbestos. Doctors have not found a single therapy that can beat it. For most patients, a combination of treatments offer the best survival odds. Pembrolizumab plus Radiotherapy Pleural mesothelioma is a rare lung-related cancer caused by asbestos exposure. There is no cure for mesothelioma. Most mesothelioma patients have a combination of therapies. Radiation is one of the methods doctors use to help slow its spread. Outcomes in mesothelioma vary widely with the use of radiotherapy. Pembrolizumab is used in combination with chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for mesothelioma. Radiotherapy uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells. One…

Clinical Trial Participation: Perspectives from Mesothelioma Patients and Caregivers
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Clinical Trial Participation: Perspectives from Mesothelioma Patients and Caregivers

ByHolly Zink

Clinical trial participation is a common topic for mesothelioma patients and their caregivers. Treatment options for mesothelioma are increasing. This is a direct result of the number of clinical trials available to patients. Yet, little is known about patients’ and relatives’ feelings about trial participation. A new study provides insight into people’s experiences of clinical trial participation. They also report what factors influence decision-making. Scientists interviewed twelve people, comprising five mesothelioma patients and seven relatives. They identified four themes related to the experience of mesothelioma. First, is the physicality of the disease. Second, the patient’s quality of life. Third, uncertainty and risk are associated with mesothelioma. And fourth, planning for an unpredictable future. A further theme included attitudes on clinical…

First-Line Chemotherapy versus Immunotherapy versus Maintenance Therapy
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First-Line Chemotherapy versus Immunotherapy versus Maintenance Therapy

ByHolly Zink

A recent study compared mesothelioma patients’ survival by physician’s choice of treatment. Is first-line chemotherapy the best choice? Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that affects older adults. Mesothelioma patients often have other comorbidities making real-world treatment decisions challenging. The first was by choice of first-line chemotherapy. The second was the physician’s choice of second-line chemotherapy versus immunotherapy. And the third was by the physician’s choice of use of maintenance therapy. Physician’s Choice of First-Line Chemotherapy Drugs This is the largest real-world study of U.S. patients diagnosed with mesothelioma. Scientists analyzed physicians’ choice of first-line chemotherapy, second-line therapy, and maintenance therapy. In the first-line chemotherapy analysis, there was no significant difference in patient survival. As of this writing, the only…

Immunotherapeutic and Targeted Approaches to Mesothelioma Treatment
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Immunotherapeutic and Targeted Approaches to Mesothelioma Treatment

ByHolly Zink

Immunotherapeutic and targeted approaches might make mesothelioma more responsive to chemotherapy. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive disease. Asbestos exposure has led to globally poor outcomes. While mesothelioma is an uncommon disease, its occurrence is increasing worldwide. Immunotherapy drugs have the potential to make chemotherapy more effective for mesothelioma patients. Researchers theorized immunotherapeutic and targeted approaches might make mesothelioma more responsive to chemotherapy. The latest results in Molecular and Clinical Oncology suggest that they were right. The findings could have implications for people around the world with mesothelioma. First- and Second-Line Treatment Options for Mesothelioma Patients affected by mesothelioma have a very severe prognosis. Mesothelioma develops after three to four decades after initial exposure to asbestos. For years, the main…

Precision Medicine Treatment: Gene-Targeting Mesothelioma
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Precision Medicine Treatment: Gene-Targeting Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A new precision medicine treatment for mesothelioma comes from scientists in Italy. This form of mesothelioma occurs after asbestos exposure in people with a genetic mutation. The mutation is represented by patients with an inherited cancer syndrome. These patients typically have an even worse prognosis than other mesothelioma patients. But the Italian team came up with a way to target the mutated gene. This form of treatment is called precision medicine. Precision medicine treatment looks at the genetics of a patient to select a treatment that will work best for them. Discovery of a DNA Gene Mutation Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Malignant mesothelioma is one of the most aggressive kinds…