New Mesothelioma Clinical Trial Will Test Personalized Immunotherapy
A Dutch company has recruited the first patients into a pivotal mesothelioma clinical trial of autologous dendritic cells. Dendritic cells are immune system cells that work as messengers. They help tell T cells to attack cancers like malignant mesothelioma. The new mesothelioma clinical trial will test using the patient’s own dendritic cells (autologous cells) as a way to keep cancer from coming back after mesothelioma treatment. Expanding Mesothelioma Treatment Options There is only one approved treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma. This “standard of care” treatment is chemotherapy with Alimta (pemetrexed) and cisplatin. Although most mesothelioma patients receive this treatment, very few live longer than a year after diagnosis. A Netherlands-based company called Amphera is trying to change those odds. Its … Continue reading New Mesothelioma Clinical Trial Will Test Personalized Immunotherapy
Patients with Impaired Kidneys Could Still Take Alimta for Mesothelioma, Study Finds
New research in the Netherlands suggests that patients who would not normally be prescribed Alimta for mesothelioma could still benefit from the gold standard mesothelioma treatment. The key is an alternate dosing strategy. Alimta is a powerful drug that works by blocking a molecule needed for cell replication. Right now, doctors do not recommend Alimta for mesothelioma in people with poor kidney function. But Dutch pharmacology experts now say it is possible to adjust the dosing to make Alimta safer for these mesothelioma patients. Alimta for Mesothelioma: Proper Dosing is Key The FDA approved Alimta for mesothelioma in 2004. Alimta (pemetrexed) is still the only drug approved for the treatment of malignant mesothelioma. It has also been approved to treat … Continue reading Patients with Impaired Kidneys Could Still Take Alimta for Mesothelioma, Study Finds
Quality of Life for Mesothelioma Patients Hinges on Activity and Nutrition
Muscle mass and nutrition can have a direct impact on quality of life for mesothelioma patients. That’s the finding of an Australian study of sixty-one men and women with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Researchers say the quality of life for mesothelioma patients was compromised by lower muscle mass or malnutrition. It is a wake-up call for mesothelioma patients to stay active and eat well for the best outcomes. Impacts on Quality of Life for Mesothelioma Patients Pleural mesothelioma is an incurable cancer. Even with the best mesothelioma treatments, most patients still face a grim prognosis. But there is evidence that good self-care may help. Previous studies have shown that patients with the best nutritional status often have longer mesothelioma survival. Nutritional … Continue reading Quality of Life for Mesothelioma Patients Hinges on Activity and Nutrition
Chemotherapy During Mesothelioma Surgery: Is it Dangerous?
A new study finds that chemotherapy during mesothelioma surgery does not raise the risk for complications. That could be good news for pleural mesothelioma patients who want to keep cancer at bay as long as possible. A group of Indian doctors compared the cases of thoracic cancer patients who had surgery with or without intraoperative chemotherapy. Only one of the “surgery + chemotherapy” patients developed a serious complication. Patients in this group also lived longer than those who did not receive intraoperative chemotherapy. When Do Doctors Use Chemotherapy During Mesothelioma Surgery? The two primary types of mesothelioma surgery are extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) or lung-sparing pleurectomy/decortication (P/D). Patients often have chemotherapy prior to surgery to shrink their mesothelioma tumor. Many have … Continue reading Chemotherapy During Mesothelioma Surgery: Is it Dangerous?
Mesothelioma Survival Factors Revealed by New Study
New research from the University of Pittsburgh reveals six primary mesothelioma survival factors. These characteristics appear to separate those who die of mesothelioma within just a few months from those who live much longer. The research focused on 888 cases of pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma listed in a national database. Patients received their mesothelioma diagnosis between 1990 and 2017. The study shows that most mesothelioma survival factors are out of patients’ control. Calculating Mesothelioma Survival Factors Not many people survive mesothelioma long term. It is one of the most aggressive and hard-to-treat types of cancer. By the time mesothelioma patients develop their first symptoms, the asbestos cancer is usually already at an advanced stage. Deciding the best way to treat … Continue reading Mesothelioma Survival Factors Revealed by New Study
PARP Inhibitors Could Enhance Immunotherapy Response in Mesothelioma
A new study suggests that drugs known as PARP inhibitors may enhance immunotherapy response in mesothelioma patients. According to a report published in the Journal of Clinical Investigations, PARP inhibitors worked especially well in cancers with mutations in their DNA repair genes. Some malignant mesothelioma patients have mutated DNA repair genes. In these patients, a PARP inhibitor may modify immunotherapy response, making drugs like Keytruda work better. How PARP Impacts Immunotherapy Response PARP stands for poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. It represents a family of proteins involved in a number of cellular processes, including DNA repair. PARP is also involved in apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Olaparib (Lynparza) is an example of a PARP inhibitor. PARP inhibitors attack tumors that already have … Continue reading PARP Inhibitors Could Enhance Immunotherapy Response in Mesothelioma
Cancer Centers May Not Manage Mesothelioma Symptoms Adequately, Study Finds
UK researchers say the number of patients receiving palliative care to manage mesothelioma symptoms may be lagging behind the need. Nottingham University conducted a needs assessment of more than 700 patients over two years. Seventy percent of patients with pleural mesothelioma or another thoracic cancer completed a questionnaire shortly after diagnosis. Their results revealed a high unmet need for palliation to manage mesothelioma symptoms and those of other thoracic malignancies. How Does Palliative Care Help Manage Mesothelioma Symptoms? Palliative care is any kind of care that helps patients manage mesothelioma symptoms. These can be physical symptoms like breathing difficulty or fatigue. Or they can be psychological symptoms like fear and worry. Palliative care to manage mesothelioma symptoms can include things … Continue reading Cancer Centers May Not Manage Mesothelioma Symptoms Adequately, Study Finds
Predicting Thyroid Disease After Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma
Researchers in Italy say it is possible to predict which mesothelioma patients are likely to develop thyroid disease after immunotherapy. They are advising their colleagues to use the technique for better management of malignant mesothelioma. Immune checkpoint inhibitors like Keytruda are improving the outlook for people with asbestos cancer. But immunotherapy is not without risk. Certain people are prone to develop thyroid disease after immunotherapy. If doctors know ahead of time which mesothelioma patients are at risk, they can be better prepared to manage problems later. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Thyroid Disease after Immunotherapy Pleural mesothelioma is extremely difficult to treat. Immune checkpoint inhibitors have given many mesothelioma patients new hope. Recent studies suggest that some of these drugs … Continue reading Predicting Thyroid Disease After Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma Research Demonstrates Power of Intrapleural Immunotherapy
New metadata suggests that intrapleural immunotherapy is a powerful, targeted way to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is a deadly cancer of the lining around the lungs. It is caused by asbestos exposure and is notoriously difficult to treat. Now, a new study suggests that delivering immunotherapy treatments directly into the pleural space where mesothelioma tumors form may help these drugs work even better. What is Intrapleural Immunotherapy? Immunotherapy treatments harness the immune system to help fight cancer. Immunotherapy works alone or in combination with other treatments like chemotherapy or surgery. Many researchers and doctors believe that immunotherapy is the future of mesothelioma treatment. Intrapleural immunotherapy is a more targeted way to deliver these cancer-fighting messengers. It does … Continue reading Mesothelioma Research Demonstrates Power of Intrapleural Immunotherapy
Defactinib Fails Again as a Maintenance Therapy for Mesothelioma
There has been another setback for a drug that showed promise as a maintenance therapy for mesothelioma. Defactinib is a focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor. FAK is a signaling pathway that allows stem cells to give rise to new cancer cells. The developers of defactinib hoped that FAK inhibition would help keep mesothelioma tumors from growing back after chemotherapy. But a team of international researchers has once again concluded that the drug does not work as a maintenance therapy for mesothelioma. In Search of a Maintenance Therapy for Mesothelioma Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that is very hard to treat. Standard chemotherapy drugs like pemetrexed, cisplatin, gemcitabine and vinorelbine can sometimes shrink tumors, but they usually come back. Doctors … Continue reading Defactinib Fails Again as a Maintenance Therapy for Mesothelioma
“My Name is Paul Kraus and I Have Survived Mesothelioma for Over 20 Years.”
In 1997 I was diagnosed with mesothelioma. The doctors gave me just a few short months to live...
But here I am, 20 years later, alive and well.
I wrote a book explaining how I became the longest living mesothelioma survivor in the world.
Today, I'd like to give you a copy for free because I want more people to survive this disease.
All you have to do is click the button below now. You will receive the book within 72 hours.
I wish you good health.
Sincerely,
"It has been over four years now and I can honestly say I am doing great. I highly recommend this book because it is inspirational and educational."
Get your free copy of
“Surviving Mesothelioma” Today!