Antibiotic May Boost Response to Radiation Therapy for Mesothelioma
A common antibiotic may improve mesothelioma patients’ response to radiation therapy. The concept is based on new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Doctors there gave the antibiotic vancomycin to genetically modified mice. The mice had been modified to develop cancer. Mice that got the antibiotic had a better response to radiation therapy than untreated mice. The effect applied not only to the treated tumor but also to tumors outside the treatment area. A heightened response to radiation therapy could be good news for patients with metastatic mesothelioma. Understanding Cancer Response to Radiation Therapy Radiation therapy combats malignant mesothelioma by disrupting the DNA inside cancer cells. Mesothelioma tumors are irregularly-shaped which can make them…