Search Results for: right to try

So You Have Mesothelioma… What Can You Do About It?

ByMatt Clarke

So You Have Mesothelioma… What Can You Do About It? Is mesothelioma always fatal? How much time do you have left? Is there anything you can do? You are right to be asking these kinds of questions. And unfortunately there is no known cure. BUT… If I’ve learned anything from surviving mesothelioma for more than 25 years, it’s this… …Mesothelioma does NOT have to be a death sentence. Over the last few years I’ve seen more and more people surviving mesothelioma every single day. And no… it’s not because of some special new drug hidden away in the far corners of Eastern Europe… …What I’m about to share with you is the entire system behind my survival. You’ll discover… You’ll get all…

Can CTLA-4 Inhibitors Help You Fight Mesothelioma?

ByMatt Clarke

Reviewed and edited by: Dr. William Sibuor, M.D. (BSc. Anat (Hons), MBChB) Your immune system exists to fight dangerous things in your body, including mesothelioma tumors. Immunotherapy treatments can help your immune system work better. CTLA-4 inhibitors are immunotherapy drugs that can be used to treat mesothelioma and other diseases. The goal of CTLA-4 inhibitors is to stop CTLA-4 from making it harder for you to fight mesothelioma. In other words, you have something inside you called CTLA-4 that slows down your immune system while it’s trying to kill mesothelioma tumor cells. That’s why this treatment aims to stop CTLA-4. What CTLA-4 does in your immune system CTLA-4 is like an auto-shutoff feature on appliances. Think about how your steam…

How CTLA-4 Inhibitors Fight Against Mesothelioma

ByMatt Clarke

Reviewed and edited by: Danielle Leonardo, M.D. Medical Oncologist Mesothelioma is an especially deadly type of cancer, but immunotherapy treatments can fight it. Immunotherapy boosts the strength of your immune system to fight diseases, including mesothelioma. One type of immunotherapy is CTLA-4 inhibitor drugs, and the best-known example is ipilimumab. CTLA-4 inhibitors can treat mesothelioma and other cancers, but it’s important to understand the pros and cons of this treatment. What is CTLA-4? CTLA-4 is part of your immune system, and it’s found on T-cells. T-cells are powerful and they fight harmful substances in your body. But if they aren’t kept under control, they can go too far and start attacking healthy cells. CTLA-4 helps keep T-cells under control by…

How To Have A Successful Mesothelioma Surgery

ByMatt Clarke

Expert Robot-Assisted Thoracic Surgeon Reveals… “How To Have A Successful Mesothelioma Surgery”  Surgery is one of the most common treatments for pleural mesothelioma.  But not all surgeries are created equal. In fact…  There are three categories of surgeries for pleural mesothelioma. But which one should you do? And how do you make sure your surgery is a success? Many mesothelioma patients think that there’s not much they can do to help.  But… There’s actually A LOT you can do. And your loved ones can help too.  Especially when it comes to surgery. That’s why we interviewed one of the top mesothelioma surgeons in the country… Dr. Jacques Fontaine.  So he could “spill the beans” on all the mesothelioma surgery secrets……

HIPEC and Mesothelioma

HIPEC and Mesothelioma

ByMatt Clarke

You might have heard the news… Most mesothelioma patients can expect to live for about a year and half… or less. Four to 18 months. That’s it. But with the latest advances in a treatment called HIPEC, patients are now surviving TWICE as long. … and sometimes even longer.  According to a study published in 2019 in the Journal of Surgical Oncology, the average survival rate with HIPEC is now 35 months… that’s almost 3 years! But what exactly is HIPEC? What can you expect? And are there any “secrets” to making HIPEC work even better? There are so many questions that need answering. Like… It can get really overwhelming… and fast. But don’t worry. You’re in good hands…  We…

New Tool to Measure Mesothelioma Stress

New Tool to Measure Mesothelioma Stress

ByHolly Zink

Researchers from Italy have created a tool to measure psychological distress in patients with malignant mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer caused by asbestos exposure. It is unique among cancers because of the combination of medical, psychological, social, and legal factors. The clinical characteristics of mesothelioma can make this disease especially difficult for patients and families. It can take decades for symptoms to appear, and they are often difficult to treat. Because of this, the prognosis usually is not very good for patients. The fact that asbestos exposure typically occurs at work is also difficult for patients to deal with. Unlike other cancers, mesothelioma patients can blame governments or companies for their disease. This can lead to feelings of…

The RARECARE Project: An International Network Includes Mesothelioma
| |

The RARECARE Project: An International Network Includes Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

The RARECARE Project is a network of international clinicians who support rare tumor patients. This includes malignant mesothelioma, the asbestos-caused cancer. RARECARE wants to ensure access to clinical trials. And to the second opinion of cancer specialists. They are working towards guaranteeing equal health care access and better care management. Humble Beginnings In 2008, the European Commission started the RARECARE project. It is a cancer registry with patient data. They are trying to define the incidence, prevalence, and outcome of rare cancers. Soon, the RARECARE registry led to a second project, RARECAREnet. This updated and enlarged the available information on rare cancers in Europe. Mesothelioma remains one of the rarest of rare cancers. It is more common in the UK…

Understanding Treatment Options for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma
| |

Understanding Treatment Options for Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer and standard therapies are limited. Therefore, most patients consider one or more of three treatment options. These paths use different types of therapies and they are usually not exclusive. Mesothelioma patients can move from one type to another and, if their doctors agree, can sometimes use them in combination. A new publication gives an overview of the best treatment options currently available for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Standard therapies include chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. If more than one of these therapies is used it is may be called multi-modality therapy. Oncologists are the doctors who provide chemo and radiation. Of course, surgeons provide surgeries. Understanding the Mesothelioma Diagnosis Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a…

Detecting Mesothelioma by Smell: A Promising Future
| | |

Detecting Mesothelioma by Smell: A Promising Future

ByHolly Zink

Early cancer detection can be difficult, but there is a promising history of research on detecting mesothelioma by smell. A new study suggests that a change in a patient’s body odor may be used for early malignant pleural mesothelioma detection. This holds tremendous hope for early treatment. Right now, pleural mesothelioma detection relies heavily on various clinical tests. These tests often include radiography, CT, MRI, ultrasound, and biopsy. All of these technologies and methods are effective. However, several are invasive, expensive, time-consuming, or limited to large hospital settings. In an article in BBA – Reviews on Cancer, researchers explore how body odor can detect malignant pleural mesothelioma. The team says the research on detecting mesothelioma by smell is promising. Nevertheless,…

Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy Shrink Peritoneal Mesothelioma Tumors: New Case Reports
| | | |

Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy Shrink Peritoneal Mesothelioma Tumors: New Case Reports

ByAlex Strauss

Two new case reports appear to support the idea that immunotherapy and chemotherapy can work together to fight peritoneal mesothelioma.  The case reports appears in the newest issue of the Journal of Immunotherapy. It details the cases of two patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma – a lethal cancer of the lining of the abdomen.  Both patients relapsed on standard platinum-based chemotherapy. But adding an immune checkpoint inhibitor dramatically improved their results. In one case, a patient’s tumor nearly disappeared.  Doctors at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center say the cases suggest that immunotherapy and chemotherapy might offer an alternative for patients who have run out of options.  Alternative Treatments Needed for Peritoneal Mesothelioma About a fifth of patients who…