Mesothelioma Clinical Trials: Study Highlights Challenges for Patients
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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…

New Mesothelioma Drug Trial Begins
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New Mesothelioma Drug Trial Begins

ByAlex Strauss

A new mesothelioma drug trial is now underway. The trial will test a brand new type of immunotherapy medication called CA-170. CA-170 is designed to block an immune system suppressor called VISTA. It is the only VISTA-blocking medication currently in clinical trial. “CA-170 has demonstrated favorable safety and tolerability as well as preliminary anti-tumor activity in patients across multiple tumor types,” the company said in a statement. Mesothelioma Drug Trial Focuses on VISTA Malignant mesothelioma is highly resistant to standard cancer treatments. Many top researchers believe that immunotherapy drugs offer the best promise for curing mesothelioma. That is because cancers like malignant mesothelioma survive in part by evading detection by the immune system. They do this in a variety ways…

Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma May Work Better with TroVax
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Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma May Work Better with TroVax

ByAlex Strauss

UK researchers say a cancer vaccine called Trovax has the potential to boost the power of chemotherapy for mesothelioma. Chemotherapy is the main treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lung lining caused by asbestos exposure. It is very hard to treat. Even people who have chemotherapy for mesothelioma do not usually live more than two years after diagnosis. Mesothelioma researchers are always looking for ways to improve chemotherapy for mesothelioma. It is often combined with other treatments like surgery, radiation or immunotherapy. Now, scientists think adding TroVax to mesothelioma chemotherapy may be another good option. What is the TroVax Cancer Vaccine? The TroVax cancer vaccine is made by UK-based Oxford BioMedica. It contains an altered…

Promising Early Results from Mesothelioma Vaccine Trial
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Promising Early Results from Mesothelioma Vaccine Trial

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers studying a new immunotherapy vaccine for mesothelioma have released early findings from an ongoing clinical trial and the results are promising. CRS-207 is based on a genetically modified version of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium normally associated with the food borne illness, Listeriosis. The drug was designed to induce a powerful immune response against cells that produce mesothelin, which includes mesothelioma and several other kinds of cancer. In a presentation at the 40th European Society for Medical Oncology in September, lead investigator Raffit Hassan, MD, of the National Cancer Institute said CRS-207 appears to be improving the odds of surviving mesothelioma in inoperable patients. “The data in this trial continue to be impressive in the front-line treatment of mesothelioma,” said…