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

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…

Mesothelioma Clinical Trials: Study Highlights Challenges for Patients
| | | | |

Mesothelioma Clinical Trials: Study Highlights Challenges for Patients

ByAlex Strauss

A new UK study points to some of the potential challenges and benefits for patients involved in mesothelioma clinical trials.  Researchers at three teaching hospitals in England interviewed mesothelioma patients who took part in the Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery (MARS 2) trial.  The trial compared outcomes in people who had a combination of surgery and chemotherapy with those who only had chemotherapy. The findings show that not all aspects of mesothelioma clinical trials are positive for patients.  A Study Within a Study Pleural mesothelioma is a fast-growing cancer that starts on the lining around the lungs. Asbestos exposure is usually the cause. With standard cancer treatments, most mesothelioma patients face a poor prognosis. Mesothelioma often leads to death within a…

Mesothelioma Clinical Trials Always Recruiting

Mesothelioma Clinical Trials Always Recruiting

ByAlex Strauss

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis.  Because it spreads quickly and there is no single cure with standard therapies, participating in a clinical trial can be one way for mesothelioma patients to access promising treatments without waiting for FDA approval. Every clinical trial has its own set of requirements for participation. Some are open to newly diagnosed mesothelioma patients while others are reserved for those who have failed to respond to other treatments.  Participants usually must agree to a full physical exam, including urine and blood samples, and must agree to follow study protocols and have regular follow-up appointments. The National Cancer Institute provides a online database of clinical trials for mesothelioma and every other cancer.  Currently…

Spice May Trigger Mesothelioma Cell Breakdown
|

Spice May Trigger Mesothelioma Cell Breakdown

ByAlex Strauss

There’s more evidence that cancer researchers might do well to spice up their mesothelioma clinical trials. A team of researchers at Keio University in Tokyo report that curcumin, the primary component in the spice turmeric, can effectively reduce the viability of human mesothelioma cells in the laboratory. This, despite the fact that mesothelioma is notoriously resistant to many types of conventional cancer therapies. “Curcumin, which has a long history as a dietary spice, is known to suppress the growth of multiple cancer lines, but the effects on mesothelioma cells are not well-defined,” observed principal investigator Y. Yamauchi in Phytotherapy Research. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of internal membranes, triggered by asbestos exposure. Citing mesothelioma’s well-known treatment resistance, Yamauchi says alternative…

More Than Thirty Mesothelioma Clinical Trials Are Underway
| |

More Than Thirty Mesothelioma Clinical Trials Are Underway

ByAlex Strauss

Clinical trials are human studies of new drugs and treatments to determine whether or not they should be approved by the FDA. Clinical trials for mesothelioma are ongoing, primarily at major medical centers around the country. Because mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer, many trials are focused on ways to detect it earlier and treat it more effectively with various combinations of therapies. Although participation in a mesothelioma trial may sound like a good way to connect with promising new treatments, not every mesothelioma patient is a candidate. Because clinical trials are established with specific goals, most have very specific guidelines as to the type of patients they are willing to treat. For example, some trials only accept patients who have…