Less Invasive Multimodal Treatment for Mesothelioma
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Less Invasive Multimodal Treatment for Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A less invasive multimodal treatment for mesothelioma can lead to better survival. A team of German researchers discovered this after looking at 20 years of patient data. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer. It most often appears in older adults and is caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a toxic material that can be found in industrial and consumer products. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a specific type of mesothelioma. It develops in the thin layer of tissue that covers the lungs and chest wall. Malignant pleural mesothelioma has three main subtypes: epithelioid, sarcomatoid, and mixed. Mesothelioma is also an aggressive cancer. It can be hard to treat because symptoms may not show up until decades after the asbestos…

A Multimodality Treatment Plan may be Best for Pleural Mesothelioma
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A Multimodality Treatment Plan may be Best for Pleural Mesothelioma

ByHolly Zink

A multimodality treatment plan may improve mesothelioma patient outcomes. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an invasive, locally aggressive tumor related to asbestos exposure. A new study shows that the best treatment plan for pleural mesothelioma may be when different types of therapy work together. The ideal combination of treatment therapies is still unknown. But a recent study encourages further studies on a multimodality treatment plan. This may include chemotherapy, surgery, and adjuvant radiotherapy. Current Clinical Guidelines: A History of Single or Multimodality Treatment Plans Despite a long history of clinical research, there is still no cure or any evidence of the best treatment. Many single-treatment plans, single-modality plans, have had disappointing results. Researchers have begun to evaluate different multi-modal treatment approaches….

Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Mesothelioma Extends Survival
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Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Mesothelioma Extends Survival

ByAlex Strauss

The largest study ever conducted on adjuvant radiotherapy for mesothelioma shows that it can help patients live longer. Pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer that tends to be highly resistant to standard treatments. Doctors usually have to use a combination of treatments to attack it. These may include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and/or immunotherapy. But there are still many questions about what combination of therapies to use and in what order. Adjuvant radiotherapy for mesothelioma is radiation delivered after surgery. Now, radiation oncology researchers in Texas say this approach can extend mesothelioma survival. Killing Mesothelioma Cells with Radiation Mesothelioma cells are hard to kill. Chemotherapy with Alimta (pemetrexed) and cisplatin is the most common treatment. But mesothelioma tumors usually start to…

Induction Therapies Improve Mesothelioma Surgery Outcomes
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Induction Therapies Improve Mesothelioma Surgery Outcomes

ByAlex Strauss

An induction therapy is the first in a series of therapeutic measures, which, in the case of mesothelioma, may include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, immunotherapy or other types of experimental treatments.  Because mesothelioma is so treatment-resistant, most patients require a combination of therapies to see results, an approach that clinicians refer to as “multi-modality.” Dr. Laura Donahoe and her colleagues at Toronto Mesothelioma Research Program recently published their summary of novel induction therapies being test for pleural mesothelioma, including a new protocol that they have developed for radiotherapy prior to mesothelioma surgery. The protocol consists of accelerated hemithoracic (one side of the chest) radiation followed by lung-removing extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) surgery. “The rationale behind this protocol is to maximize both the…

Peritoneal Mesothelioma and Multi-Modality Treatment
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Peritoneal Mesothelioma and Multi-Modality Treatment

ByAlex Strauss

Combining surgery, localized chemotherapy and gamma-interferon-1b, and radiation can increase survival for patients with peritoneal mesothelioma, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology. Currently, no standard treatment exists for peritoneal mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the abdominal lining (peritoneum). Because the disease is typically confined to the abdomen, treatment usually consists of local therapies such as surgery or chemotherapy. In the current study, researchers investigated whether combining surgery with locally delivered chemotherapy, biological therapy (gamma-interferon-1b), and radiation might slow the progression of the disease and improve survival. The study involved 27 patients (average age, 53) with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. All of the participants underwent surgery in which doctors removed all traces of visible disease—a time-intensive…