A cooperation between the Mayo Clinic and the University of Georgia is surprising scientists, doctors and patients around the world. An announcement has been made that the two co-researchers have developed a possible cancer vaccination that has been devestating cancer cell viability in lab mice – diminishing the deadly cells to on average, approximately 20 percent of their original size.

The vaccination identifies a special protein that is exclusive to abnormal cells, such as cancer cells. The protein, known as MUC1, is present in most cancers, including mesothelioma. The vaccination is unique, in that it trains the body’s own immune system to attack cancer cells that carry the MUC1 protein. That is significant, seeing as how usually, the body does not recognize cancer cells and instead allows them to grow uninhibited by the immune system.

Although the cancer vaccine tests on mice do not necessarily mean they will work on humans, the medical and scientific community has high hopes for the possible development of an immunization that could treat up to 70 percent of all cancers.

If the MUC1 cancer vaccination works and receives approval by the Food and Drug Administration, it could become a standard first-line defense against mesothelioma. That would be a miracle for the mesothelioma victim community, seeing as how the cancer is notorious for being unresponsive to traditional treatments. Furthermore, if the vaccine works as well in humans as it has proven to work in laboratory mice, it could mean a much longer life expectancy for mesothelioma victims, as well as other individuals suffering from various forms of cancer.

As of now, mesothelioma victims have limited options regarding treatments and therapies for their disease. Mesothelioma tumors typically have little response to conventional radiation, chemotherapy and drug treatments, often leaving patients with a bleak prognosis. An effective vaccination would be a welcome option for those battling against the cancer.

Discussions are under way in hopes of scheduling clinical testing next year. Chief Executive at Bionomics, Deborah Rathjen says, “It has always been Bionomics’ intention to initiate further clinical trials of BNC105. The decision to undertake a clinical trial in women with ovarian cancer has followed extensive consultation with key opinion leaders in Australia and the US.”

Where ovarian cancer is specific to women, mesothelioma has long since affected a majority male population. This is not due to specific organs mesothelioma effects, but to its cause, toxic asbestos, and the environments historically responsible for asbestos exposure.

Considered an ‘industrial disease,’ mesothelioma is associated with large-scale works such as shipbuilding, mining, and refineries. For the first sixty-plus years of asbestos use in the world’s leading industrial markets, these arenas were operated and manned almost totally by men. In the past several decades as working demographics have shifted drastically, female cases of mesothelioma have risen.

Malignant mesothelioma is characterized by a latency period ranging from twenty to fifty years. Patients usually have no idea they are developing the fatal cancer until symptoms begin to show at the end of this latency period. For many, time or place of original asbestos exposure is a mystery, if they even know they were exposed at all.

As health and safety regulations began to change to match the growing information about the dangers of asbestos, employers had to follow through with employee education, awareness and safety precautions. Sadly, many did not, either out of ignorance or intentional negligence; many employers allowed their workers to continue working in environments made hazardous by asbestos. Because of this, to date, over six hundred thousand lawsuits have been filed related to asbestos; most by employees suffering with mesothelioma or another asbestos related disease, against their current or former employer.

Bionomics cancer drug could become a valuable addition to mesothelioma treatment options. There is currently no known cure for mesothelioma. Most treatments are administered as palliative care in an effort to extend patient life expectancy, which averages just eighteen months following diagnosis, and raise quality of life. Current treatment options include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Mesothelioma affects about three thousand Americans, and an estimated twenty thousand people worldwide, each year. Estimated numbers are considered low for developing countries as many cases go unrecognized or unrecorded. Mesothelioma treatments include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy in countries where facilities and providers of such are available. There is no known cure for mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to toxic chemical asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring chemical that can be mined from the earth. Gaining popularity in the early nineteen hundreds, asbestos became know for its fire resistance, durability and stabilizing qualities. Products and processes that required these characteristics quickly began using large amounts of asbestos. Most common in industrial and manufacturing arenas, asbestos was also used to produce countless construction and household items that are still present in homes today.

Although relatively safe when contained, if asbestos fibers are released into the air, a dangerous health threat ensues. Asbestos fibers are often released through years of product wear and tear or by sudden demolition, either planned or accidental.

Once fibers are inhaled asbestos can begin a mutative process in otherwise healthy tissues. Malignant mesothelioma development results, spreading tumors through protective organ lining. Mesothelioma is most often found in lung lining, but can affect lining of other abdominal cavities of such organs as the heart or diaphragm.

The dignity therapy study included one hundred sixty five participants who were chosen at random in Canada, Australia and US. Although no major medical differences were seen in patients who received dignity therapy, there were reports of enhanced spiritual well being as well as lessening sadness in patient that received dignity therapy.

Study authors write, “Although the ability of dignity therapy to mitigate outright distress, such as depression, desire for death or suicidality, has yet to be proven, its benefits in terms of self-reported end-of-life experiences support its clinical application for patients nearing death.”

Mesothelioma is considered a fatal cancer with life expectancies ranging from just six months to two years following diagnosis. With such a grim prognosis, even the non-medical benefits of dignity therapy could provide much needed comfort for mesothelioma patients and their loved ones.

Pleural mesothelioma is one of two known types of the rare cancer. Affecting lung lining, pleural mesothelioma makes up about 80% of all mesothelioma cases. The other 20% affects linings of other abdominal organs and is called peritoneal mesothelioma. Both types are considered fatal and without cure.

Asbestos fibers cause malignant mesothelioma through inhalation or ingestion. Fibers become lodged in lung lining and begin a mutative process of healthy cells. This process turns into tumor development and lasts for twenty to fifty years. Most mesothelioma patients have no idea they were ever exposed to toxic asbestos and therefore have no idea they are developing the deadly cancer.

Characterized by such a long latency period, mesothelioma is extremely difficult to diagnose. Once symptoms begin to show mesothelioma is in its final and most aggressive stage; following diagnosis life expectancy averages just eighteen months. Although mesothelioma treatments exist, many patients choose palliative care rather than cancer-direct treatments. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy—standards in mesothelioma treatment—can be quite taxing on patients already struggling with the effects of the disease. Providers often choose to focus on pain management, raising quality of life, and extending life expectancy, rather that picking a battle with fatal mesothelioma.

Crizotinib showed promise in clinical testing by greatly increasing life expectancy in patients with advanced cases of NSCLC. Standard life expectancy for NSCLC cases peaks at 2 years; at which point only 20% of patients are alive. With crizotinib, 74% of patients tested were alive after one year, and 54% were alive after two—this is a great step in extending patient life expectancy in an arena of such characteristically low mortality rates.

New treatments are a welcome development in a world witnessing rising mesothelioma cases. Asbestos continues to be used globally and more so in developing countries where safety precautions are minimal, if existent, and health hazards go unchecked. Experts expect to see a rise in worldwide mesothelioma cases unless asbestos use is stopped immediately. Sadly, many struggling economies are dependant upon export or import of the toxic material keeping an end to asbestos use out of sight.

Malignant mesothelioma is a cancer affecting protective lining of abdominal organs, the membranous, mesothelium. Unlike many other deep tissue cancer tumors, mesothelioma tumors are wider than they are deep, spreading through the thin mesothelium.

Mesothelioma is characterized by a long latency period, typically spanning several decades. During this latency period mesothelioma does not demonstrate symptoms. Unless the patient knows to look for the rare cancer, there would be no signs that anything was amiss until twenty to fifty years after development begin. Due to the long latency period and small, wide characteristics of mesothelioma tumors, mesothelioma poses quite a diagnostic challenge.

Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos fibers, which can be inhaled or ingested into the body. These fibers begin a mutative process of cancer development.

Products similar to “Cornell dots” have been developed, but none approved by Food and Drug Administration until now. Make-up of “Cornell dots” have made them just right for entry into the body—they are not considered intruder cells—and for detection by positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Once “Cornell dots” have attached themselves to cancer cells, their particular qualities glow in response to specific light sources, guiding providers to cancer cells and tumors.

According to the researchers, this new technology “enables visualization during surgical treatment, showing invasive or metastatic spread to lymph nodes and distant organs, and can show the extent of treatment response.”

Currently, an estimated twenty thousand people suffer from mesothelioma worldwide; this number is expected to grow as asbestos use continues to go unregulated in many developing countries. With a rise in cases, new diagnostic tools aiding in early cancer detection could break the fatal record associated with mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of lung lining and lining of other abdominal cavities. It is caused by asbestos fibers inhaled or ingested into the body. Mesothelioma is characterized by a long latency period, often spanning several decades, and a short life expectancy following diagnosis. Although there are many mesothelioma treatments available, there is no known cure for mesothelioma.

Mrs. Witney helped to nurse and care for her husband during his last days in hospital. In light of her husband’s sudden death, Mrs. Witney believes patients and their families are not given enough information about drug trials to make an informed decision. Now, her campaigning has finally paid off. Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust has published an informational pamphlet covering details of drug trials and possible side effects.

Mrs. Witney has mixed feelings about the pamphlet. She said, “So many people suffer inadequate care within the NHS [National Health Service], not only patients but also dedicated nursing staff, due to poor management, an inability on the part of the decision makers to admit they are sometimes wrong, and the curtain of secrecy in which they like to cloak themselves when dealing with anything they find unpalatable, in the hope it will eventually disappear.

“I want to thank everyone at the Oxford Mail for the huge support they gave me at a time when I struggled to get up each morning let alone find the strength to battle with a pretty formidable opponent.

“I am extremely pleased that at last something concrete has appeared, but sadly a little skeptical as to how well the leaflet will be presented to trials patients.

“The reason for my skepticism is that this simple piece of paper has taken a ridiculously long time to produce and I feel it has been completed with some reluctance as I have been constantly fobbed off throughout this time.”

In decades past extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) has been a common option in mesothelioma treatment, in spite of its 60% complication rate. An EPP consists of removing not only malignant mesothelioma tumors from patients, but the most affected lung, all affected lymph nodes and surrounding tissue, parts of the heart lining and diaphragm. Considered radical, unnecessary and not in the patient’s best interests, UK medical practices discontinued use of EPP in years past.  During the symposium UK and US mesothelioma surgeries were studied; medical officials present also decided EPP is not the best choice for mesothelioma treatment.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer affecting protective linings of abdominal cavities, most often lung lining. Caused by toxic chemical asbestos, mesothelioma is characterized by a long latency period and a short, painful life expectancy following diagnosis. About three thousand Americans, and an estimated twenty thousand people worldwide, suffer with mesothelioma each year.

Director of UCLA Mesothelioma Research Program and symposium chairman, Dr. Robert B. Cameron, said, “The information presented at this Symposium makes an incredibly strong statement that surgical removal of the lung for treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma should no longer be performed anywhere in the world, just like it has been abandoned already in the U.K.”

Dr. Cameron communicated that experts at the symposium decidedly suggest pleurectomies as the “preferred surgical procedure.” A pleurectomy is a surgical procedure in which as many tumors and affected tissues are removed without removing or damaging the organs. Patient recovery, pain management and extended life expectancy are common goals of pleurectomies.

Although results of temsirolimus on mesothelioma cancer cells are showing similarities to those of kidney cancer cells, there is a draw back. Tests show malignant mesothelioma cells resistant to commonly used chemotherapy drug, cisplatin, to be even more resistant to temsirolimus. This led researchers to suggest temsirolimus as a second-line treatment for mesothelioma, or a drug to be used in combination with other first-line treatments.

Mesothelioma treatments are commonly given in combination. Standard procedures include surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These may be administered in cancer-direct form, attempting to eradicate the malignant cells from the patient body, or as palliative treatment in an effort to raise patient quality of life and extend life expectancy.

Mesothelioma is characterized by a short life expectancy following diagnosis, averaging eighteen months. Mesothelioma is caused by fibers of toxic chemical asbestos, which, if inhaled, begin a cancerous development in lung lining and lining of other abdominal cavities.

Professor Walter Berger, PhD, of the Institute of Cancer Research at the Medical University of Vienna says this about rare cancer mesothelioma: “Malignant mesothelioma is a severe human malignancy characterized by a very bad prognosis, with a mean patient survival time of less than one year. This unacceptable situation is mainly caused by late diagnosis combined with a distinct resistance to all forms of systemic therapy available so far. Mesothelioma is frequently caused by asbestos exposure and unfortunately — based on the long latency period — the incidence peak lies, despite the ban on asbestos, still ahead. Consequently, novel therapeutic options for this devastative disease are urgently needed.”

Results and findings of the Austrian study were published in May’s issue of Journal of Thoracic Oncology. Berger said of the study: “In our preclinical study, published in the JTO, we were able to demonstrate that inhibition of the major oncogene mTOR is active against human mesothelioma especially after development of chemotherapy resistance both in vitro and in vivo. These results suggest the initiation of clinical trials involving mTOR inhibitors as a novel anti-mesothelioma strategy.”

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to toxic chemical asbestos. Asbestos fibers or dust can be inhaled into the lungs where they begin a mutative process of tumor development. These tumors grow in an irregularly patterned system through lining tissue of lungs and other abdominal cavities. It takes decades for mesothelioma to demonstrate symptoms making early detection difficult. Once a proper diagnosis is made, patients average a six-month to two-year life expectancy. There are mesothelioma treatments available, but no known cure.

The Oxford research group covered over three hundred papers for their study, focusing specifically on nine mesothelioma cases. Due to the risk of furthering mesothelioma spread and creating a longer recovery time for the patient, the study concluded PIT might be doing more harm than good for mesothelioma patients.

The researchers report was published in Journal of Interactive and Cardiovascular Thoracic Surgery, where they said, “One trial found that 23% of radiotherapy patients developed tract metastases compared to 10% of control patients… Time from procedure to tract metastases was in fact shorter in patients treated with RT (2.4 month RT vs. 6.4 months control). Another trial found that seeding of metastatic tumor to the intervention site occurred in 7% of RT sites vs. 10% of control sites.”

However, other papers have been written in disagreement with these findings, stating that PIT using VATS is an appropriate form of treatment for mesothelioma patients as long as the puncture wounds are watched carefully and considered in the follow-up care plan. One report showed a higher count of metastases occurrence in the control group rather than the group that received PIT, while varying results were found in additional studies. Overall, patient life expectancy was not extended by using PIT.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of lung lining and lining of other abdominal cavities. It is caused almost exclusively by asbestos fibers, which, once inhaled, can begin a mutation process leading to growth of irregular malignant tumors. Mesothelioma affects a rising fifteen to twenty thousand people worldwide; it is believed that thousands of additional cases go unreported, particularly in developing countries where asbestos use high and minimally regulated.

Mesothelioma is characterized by a long latency period, between twenty and fifty years. When symptoms demonstrate they include coughing, wheezing and signs reflective of a respiratory infection. Mesothelioma treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and palliative care. There is no known cure for mesothelioma.

In the Italian study, researchers specifically found that pemetrexed drugs benefited mesothelioma patients as a second-line treatment when the same patient had benefited from same-type first-line treatments.

Thirty-one patients who had received pemetrexed-based drugs for mesothelioma at least once before where administered the same drug for relapse occurrences between 2004 and 2009. All of these patients were 3 months or more beyond their last treatments. Fifteen received pemetrexed-based drugs alone, while 16 were treated with a combination of pemetrexed-based and the current standard platinum-based drugs.

Forty-eight percent of patients tested showed shrunken tumors or tumors that had stopped growing. A 10.5 month average progression-free survival time also followed for the 48% of patients responding well to treatments. This additional survival time was consistent for patients who had experienced an average of 12 months progression-free survival time following first-line same-type treatments. Patients that did not experience as much as 12 months progression-free survival time after first-line treatments averaged only 2.5 months following second-line same-type treatments.

A Japanese study published in the International Journal of Clinical Oncology reported similar findings. Patients who responded well to pemetrexed-based drugs as a first-line treatment benefited from the same type second-line treatments.

Study authors concluded, however, that more research is necessary to better decide how to treat relapse in mesothelioma cases.

Mesothelioma is caused by toxic chemical asbestos, which continues to be used around the world in building and construction.  Many countries, including the US have all but discontinued asbestos use and enforce strict regulations pertaining to its use and removal.

With a typical latency period ranging from twenty to fifty years, mesothelioma cases will continue to rise until asbestos use has been totally discontinued for decades. The World Health Organization estimates an approaching ninety-thousand mesothelioma cases annually if asbestos use patterns are not drastically changed.  With no known mesothelioma cure, new treatments are welcomed by mesothelioma victims and their families.

S-1 is an anti-tumor drug used on gastric cancer in Japan, Korea, China and other Asian countries. Although is it currently not available for use in the US, S-1 has been recommended for approval to treat gastric cancer in Europe. Developed by Taiho Pharmaceutical Company, S-1 is known by its brand name Teysuno.

Current mesothelioma treatments consist of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and palliative treatments for patients choosing to focus on quality of life rather than cancer-direct treatments. Mesothelioma is often diagnosed quite late in its development; life expectancy following diagnosis is short, ranging from six months to five years.  Mesothelioma is characterized by irregularly patterned tumors throughout the lung lining and lining of other abdominal cavities. Pleural mesothelioma is specifically the cancer in lung lining, while peritoneal mesothelioma refers to the same cancer affecting linings of other abdominal cavities. Although both are rare cancers, pleural mesothelioma is the more common of the two.

S-1 was developed to prevent cancer tumor growth as well as to support another anti-cancer medication, 5-FU. In the study of S-1, lab mice received mesothelioma cells in their chest cavities, which were allowed to develop for quite some time before test treatments. This wait was to simulate the typical late stage at which human mesothelioma patients began treatments. It was reported that the mice responded well to S-1, which reduced their cancer growth and prolonged their survival times.

Researchers of the study concluded that S-1 is promising as a possible good drug to use against pleural mesothelioma.

Today, there is one woman who is not telling this short and painful story. Karen Grant was diagnosed with mesothelioma at age 29. Years younger than the usual mesothelioma patient, Grant was beating odds from the beginning of her case. For treatment, Grant turned to Dr. David J. Sugarbaker of the Mesothelioma Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Dr. Sugarbaker was chief of the hospitals Division of Thoracic Surgery as well as a Wilson Professor of Oncologic Surgery at Harvard Medical School.

Grant underwent many of the most recent trends in mesothelioma treatment. Two extrapleural pneumonectomies were performed on her lungs to rid the organs of cancerous tumors and infected tissues. These operations were followed by laser surgery to kill remaining cancer cells that could not be removed during the extrapleural pneumonectomies.

After all surgeries were completed, Dr. Sugarbaker and his staff administered chemotherapy baths to both of Grants lungs. The drug was heated to a temperature proven more potent on cancer cells and then used to bath the infected areas. This was followed by additional rehabilitative therapies.

Five years later, Grant is now in her mid-thirties with no signs of cancer. Dr. Sugarbaker’s great success may be in part due to Grant’s age—her entire ordeal from diagnosis through treatment was completed at an age at least twenty years younger than most mesothelioma patients. However, Dr. Pasi Janne of the Dana-Farber Institute has called Dr. Sugarbaker’s treatment “a milestone” in the path toward finding a cure for mesothelioma.

Dr. Sugarbaker and his staff continue to research treatments for mesothelioma, knowing this one great success stands against thousands of mesothelioma deaths. Grant’s recovery could be the inspiration needed for the medical community diligently closing the gap between new research and the growing patient population.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of the lung lining caused by asbestos fibers. Although it is a comparatively rare cancer, thousands of Americans suffer from it each year. As asbestos continues to be used around the world, the number of mesothelioma cases is expected to rise. Prognoses include a painful and short survival time, often not
exceeding eighteen months.

Mesothelioma patients in clinical trials respond well to raltitrexed when used in conjunction with cisplatin, the typical chemotherapy treatment in mesothelioma patients. While cisplatin works to bind itself to the cells and DNA of cancer tumors causing the cells to self-destruct, raltitrexed limits its work to halting the growth and division of cells. Although the death of cells is the desired outcome in the cancer tumor, patients continue to suffer a loss of quality of life as their healthy body tissue endures the same attack as the cancer. Raltitrexed’s limit to growth and division is a welcome one for mesothelioma patients.

Clinical studies have shown a 23.6% response rate in patients being treated with both cisplatin and raltitrexed, compared to a 13.6% response rate in those only on cisplatin. In addition, the extended life times have increased in patients using both drugs to 11.4 months verses 8.8 months in patients on cisplatin alone. The length of time without cancerous progression has also grown from 4 months to 5.3 months with use of both drugs.

These improvements are a direct defense against the failing quality of life in mesothelioma patients. Not only is the patient’s body fighting the chemotherapy administered against the cancer, but also many other negative side effects characterized by a cancer patient’s illness. Neotropenia and anemia are just two of the harsh effects of chemotherapy widely experienced in those undergoing treatment. Both effect the blood cell count causing susceptibility to infections, fatigue and general weakness.

Raltitrexed has been licensed for use in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Portugal. With many benefits proven in clinical tests, raltitrexed could make a significant difference in the quality of life for patients in the US and abroad.

Peritoneal mesothelioma refers to the formation of cancerous tumors in the mesothelial tissues of the abdominal cavity. Like other forms of mesothelioma, the disease is caused almost exclusively by asbestos fibers and is terminal in the overwhelming majority of cases. Unlike better known forms of the disease such as pleural mesothelioma, or mesothelioma of the lung lining, the mechanism which introduces the asbestos fibers to the area of the tumor is unknown. Some evidence suggests that peritoneal mesothelioma may result from the accidental ingestion of asbestos fibers, whereas pleural mesothelioma results from inhalation of the dangerous materials.

Patients suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma react to the disease in very different ways, a fact which lead researchers to further investigation. According to the Maryland researchers, “There is marked variability in its clinical behavior. Some patients die rapidly, and others survive for many years.”

The researchers believe that the differences in individual responses to the disease may lie in the expression of certain genes which affect the chemical “signals” transmitted to cells. In some patients, these signaling pathways cause cancerous tumors to grow and spread more rapidly, while in other patients the tumors appear to grow far slower. The researchers analyzed forty-one tissue samples from mesothelioma patients, and found that the “signaling chemicals” responsible for RNA production and protein synthesis differed between samples.

In one group the over-expression of certain pathways known as PI3K and the mammalian target of mTOR caused the presence of specific genes associated with a peritoneal mesothelioma survival of around 24 months. In patients where the same pathways and the genes which they are linked to were not present, survival rates were more than twice that time at some 69.5 months. When synthetic means were introduced to inhibit the expression of the PI3K and mTOR pathways, they found that the division and growth of cancerous cells was significantly impeded.

The scientists believed that further research into the significance of specific gene expression in peritoneal malignant mesothelioma patients was warranted. They asserted that the experiments already conducted highlight the importance of analyzing gene expression and further understanding the mechanisms that link these expressions with differing survival rates.

The study concluded: “Targeting the PI3K and mTOR signaling pathways may have significant therapeutic value in patients with MPM.”

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelium, a soft tissue found around the lungs, abdomen and heart which encases organ systems and promotes their smooth function. Pleural mesothelioma refers to the cancer when it attacks the lining of the lungs, or the pleural mesothelium.

Mesothelioma is a terminal disease, and is caused almost exclusively by exposure to asbestos fibers. When asbestos fibers are accidentally inhaled or ingested, they travel through the victim’s body until they become lodged in the mesothelial tissues. Asbestos fibers trapped in the mesothelium cause a scarring reaction which can spur the growth of malignant tumors.

Cancers in the body spread through cell division, and often require the development of new blood vessels to supply the malformed tumor tissues and continue growth. Chemotherapy aims to inhibit certain enzyme actions that are required for these cells to divide, thus slowing or stopping the growth of the tumor.

Mesothelioma is commonly treated with a specific chemotherapy treatment made up of both pemetrexed and cisplatin. While this treatment has demonstrated enough efficacy to become a commonly accepted mesothelioma treatment route, in many cases its effects are disappointing or even negligible. The Southwest Oncology Group is currently testing the effect of adding a third chemotherapy treatment to the regimen, cediranib maleate. The new treatment made up of all three chemotherapy drugs is being tested in patients who have not been treated previously for malignant mesothelioma with either surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy or any other form of treatment.

Cediranib maleate, which is also referred to as either AZD2171 or Recentin, is expected to stunt or stop the growth of new blood vessels which supply tumor growth with the nutrients necessary to grow and develop. This phase of the clinical trials, referred to as Phase I/II, is intended to study the side effects of the new treatment as well as discern the most effective dosage of the new additive.

Southwest Oncology Group is funded largely by the National Cancer Institute, and enrolls more than 6,000 cancer patients and healthy volunteers each year to study new drugs and treatment methods. Patients interested in participating in clinical trials of experimental drugs can contact the group for more details.

Mesothelioma, an aggressive and terminal cancer of a specific tissue which encases the body’s vital organs, is caused almost exclusively by asbestos exposure. The disease can take from twenty to fifty years to develop from initial exposure to asbestos, and presents with symptoms shared by a variety of general ailments. The long latency period and vague symptoms make it particularly difficult to diagnose, and its aggressive progression makes it an incredibly dangerous disease with a normally grim prognosis. The publication in the European Guidelines for Medical Oncology provide some standard diagnostic and treatment procedures which hope to help doctors diagnose mesothelioma more quickly and treat it more efficiently.

The guidelines state that one of the first symptoms of the disease is often shortness of breath and varying degrees of chest pain. An X-ray can help to discern whether the chest wall has begun to thicken – another symptom of the disease – and a test performed on the fluid accumulating in the chest cavity along with an audit of the patient’s occupational history can help to narrow the possibilities. If all tests at this point indicate a possibility of mesothelioma, the new guidelines suggest a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.

In addition to symptomatic diagnosis, the guidelines discuss the possibility of further inferring a positive diagnosis by recognizing two specific protein markers found in the patient’s blood serum. While the role these proteins play is still relatively uncertain their presence has been correlated with a positive mesothelioma diagnosis.

A wide variety of experimental treatments exist for mesothelioma, but the ESMO report continues to support the traditional treatment methods of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Surgery, claims the new guidelines, should only be performed in early stages of the disease and should be followed by chemotherapy and combination radiotherapy where necessary. A variety of combination, or multi-modal, therapies – that is, collections of specific drugs and administration techniques – exist which have shown particular efficacy in different circumstances.

While mesothelioma is still considered a rare disease, its long latency period suggests that diagnoses will continue to rise considerably. Guidelines such as the new ESMO publication could help doctors to deal with rising instances of the disease.

Mesothelioma, a terminal cancer caused by the accidental inhalation or ingestion of asbestos fibers, causes death ten to eighteen months from diagnosis on average. The disease can take several decades to develop from the time of initial exposure to asbestos fibers, lending to its difficult diagnosis and contributing to the fact that most patients suffer from its advanced stages before beginning treatments. Due to the long latency period of the disease, annual diagnoses are expected to rise beyond 2015 despite the fact that asbestos bans and regulations continue to tighten.

Mesothelioma, or a malignant tumor of the soft tissue known as the mesothelium, is treated palliatively, meaning that treatment aims to increase a patient’s comfort and extend their survival with providing a curative solution. The vast majority of mesothelioma patients undergo a combination of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy.

In recent years a technique known as heated chemotherapy has shown some promise in patients undergoing tumor removal surgery. The procedure consists of washing affected tissues in a warm chemotherapy solution, the warmth of which increases effective absorption, in order to destroy malignant cells missed by the surgery. Heated chemotherapy poses some threats as well, however, including damaging the diaphragm and the pericardium – the tissue lining around the heart.

The new treatment method, cold-plasma coagulation, was tested in stage III mesothelioma patients. Stage III describes the state of the disease when malignancy has spread beyond the original tumor into several lymph nodes. Cold-plasma coagulation was used to destroy malignant tissues and cells in the pleura, diaphragm, and pericardium before a regular regimen of heated chemotherapy was applied. The results, say the researchers, proved as safe as prior methods of treatment and may prove to be a beneficial addition to multi-modal treatments in the future.

The authors of the study were cautious with their claims, stating that further trials would be necessary to draw conclusions.

“We consider our trial as a pilot study,” they said, “to evaluate potential survival benefits using this [Cold Plasma] technique, larger trials are mandatory.”

Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. The body’s normal defense mechanisms are unable to expel the microscopic, needle like fibers, and upon ingestion or inhalation they pass through the lungs or intestines and become lodged in a protective soft tissue known as the mesothelium. The asbestos fibers cause tissue scarring which can develop into malignant tumors over the course of years or even decades.

Dr Joachim Aerts and his colleagues have performed valuable research which shows that a cancer patient’s own immune system can potentially be employed to help destroy malignant tumors. Previous tests caused mice with cancerous tumors to develop the antigens necessary to combat their disease.

The new vaccine interacts with patient’s dendritic cells to help produce the antigens to the cancerous tumors in a patient’s mesothelium. Dr Joachim, a lung specialist at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, Holland, and the author of the study, hopes that his approach will allow a patient’s own immune system to defeat the disease. If treatments such as this one prove to be successful, the need for conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy that weaken and sicken the patient could be reduced.

According to Dr Joachim, employing a patient’s own immune system in the battle against their mesothelioma is part of a fairly new branch of cancer treatment known as immunotherapy. The new vaccine shows that the concept is viable and takes steps towards providing a less strenuous treatment alternative to current conventions that cause far fewer side effects. Patients with mesothelioma are rarely expected to live more than two years; Aerts hopes that treatments such as this could improve those numbers and provide some new hope for mesothelioma patients and their families.

Aerts addressed some of the possible drawbacks of the new vaccine, mentioning the complication presented by immunosuppressive disorders and the body’s struggle in study participants to deliver the newly developed antigens effectively to the site of the tumor. The scarring of the patient’s mesothelium and the tumor itself often create an environment somewhat isolated from body systems which reduces the treatments efficacy. Despite these concerns immunotherapy for mesothelioma continues to show considerable promise.

Mesothelioma is indicated by malignant tumors of the mesothelium, that is, the soft tissue that encases and protects many of our vital organs. The devastating cancer has been linked with exposure to asbestos fibers, and while the disease can take up to half a century to fully develop, all persons that have been exposed to the dangerous substance are at risk.

When asbestos fibers are either inhaled or ingested, the microscopic, needle like particles are not detained by our body’s normal defenses for inorganic foreign irritants. The fibers pass through the lungs or digestive tract and eventually become lodged in the mesothelium where the tissue begins to react by scarring. This scarring can eventually form dangerous, malignant tumors which can be difficult to detect with conventional methods, contributing to the disease’s difficult diagnosis.

Photodynamic therapy is an exciting development and a promising potential treatment option. The therapy uses a non-toxic, photosensitizing compound to target cancer cells and cause them to become vulnerable to visible light. Affected tissues are then exposed to light – usually during surgery – which destroys the targeted cancer cells. Unlike chemotherapy and radiotherapy, PDT targets cancer cells specifically rather than just areas of the body affected by the tumor. This means that far less damage is done to normal, healthy cells which greatly detracts from the debilitating weakness and general lethargy that normally follows conventional treatments.

More than 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. The disease is infamous for its grim prognoses; patients with a positive mesothelioma diagnosis are often expected to live for no more than about two years. Asbestos, the substance that causes the disease, while banned in most developed nations including the European Union is still used in the United States. Strict regulations, however, are applied to encourage its safe handling in the USA. Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of asbestos products are still used freely in developing nations as industrial insulation, fire retardation additives, and strengthening additives in cement and other building materials.

Researchers and medical professionals are constantly working to improve existing mesothelioma treatments and discover new, potentially more effective treatments such as photodynamic therapy.

An article published in the European Journal of Surgical Oncology recently reported that in a controlled study cytoreductive surgery, or surgery to remove malignant cancer cells, combined with certain forms of chemotherapy was a more effective treatment option than either surgery or chemotherapy alone. Similarly, a team of researchers in Victoria, Australia recently discovered that a new type of radiation therapy is far more effective at combating mesothelioma in combination with surgery or chemotherapy than it is by itself. Studies that discover which types of treatments best compliment each other are vital in the fight against mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma attacks the mesothelium, a membrane that forms a protective lining around several body cavities including the pleura or chest cavity, the peritoneum or abdominal cavity, and the pericardium or lining of the heart. Sadly, patients diagnosed with mesothelioma are only expected to live between six and eighteen months. More and more the cancer is becoming a serious concern in the United States and abroad due to its growing diagnoses and poor prognosis. Although it is caused by exposure to asbestos, a fibrous substance often used as insulation and fire retardant before the turn of the century, mesothelioma can take decades to develop after a patient is initially exposed to the dangerous fibres. The time that it takes the disease to develop combined with its generic, flu like symptoms make it a poor candidate for early detection and contribute to its shocking prognosis.

The medical community has long suspected the effectiveness of combination therapies for the treatment of mesothelioma, and new studies continue to corroborate that opinion. Lung Cancer, a medical journal, recently published a clinical trial which states that trimodal therapy (surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy in combination) improves survival rates in pleural mesothelioma patients, that is, patients with mesothelioma of the chest or lungs. The trial included 35 pleural mesothelioma patients, all of whom received radical pleurectomy surgery followed by four cycles of chemotherapy, followed by four to six weeks of radiation therapy.

Radical pleurectomy surgery is an alternative to extrapleural pneumonectomy, a surgery where an entire lung is removed from the patient. While radical pleurectomy aims to remove malignant cancer cells much like extrapleural pneumonectomy, it leaves the lungs in tact which tends to result in an improved recovery rate. This study specifically targeted radical pleurectomy patients because of their likelihood to recover from surgery more rapidly. Because of the nature of the trimodal therapy study, it was important that the patients were fit to continue other treatments after surgery.

“The aim of our prospective study was to analyze the feasibility and describe the long-term outcomes of patients treated with RP [radical pleurectomy] as surgical therapy modality in a standardized trimodality therapy concept,” the study states.

The study was a success, improving the patient’s average survival rates by a full year beyond normal expectations. The targeting of radical pleurectomy surgery was a key factor to the success of the treatment, researchers said, stating “[radical pleurectomy] as a surgical strategy allows patients to capitalize on all the aspects that a multimodality treatment approach has to offer without compromising the surgical oncological result and thus we believe RP [radical pleurectomy] is a cornerstone of the promising long-term results achieved in our pilot study. The observed and theoretical benefits of this trimodality treatment approach warrant confirmation in larger multi-center prospective controlled studies.” Researchers worldwide continue to study combination treatment strategies to improve the quantity and quality of life for mesothelioma patients.

The Mesothelioma Cancer Department has a comprehensive program with over 30 specialists on staff dedicated and focused on mesothelioma. In their approach for mesothelioma treatment, the specialist team determines the patient’s cancer stage and if they are a candidate for surgery.

In conjunction with the surgical staging, Anderson is conducting a clinical trial of the drug, Dasatinib. Prior to surgery, patients are given Dasatinib to test the effectiveness of the drug therapy in preventing the progression of the disease.

For more information about mesothelioma treatment, check out the M.D. Anderson web site, or visit our pages on clinical trials, cancer centers, and leading mesothelioma doctors.

Paracentesis is a palliative surgery performed on patients of peritoneal mesothelioma, which affects the stomach and abdomen. During this procedure, a long, thin needle is inserted into the belly to drain accumulated fluid. This fluid, known as ascites, can negatively impact the stomach, kidneys and intestines. Draining the ascites provides the mesothelioma patient with relief from the pain and pressure of having extra fluid.

In order to prepare for paracentesis, you need to tell your mesothelioma doctor:

• If you are taking any medication
• If you have any allergic reactions to medicines, including numbing medicines
• If you have any bleeding problems, or are taking blood thinners or aspirin
• If you are pregnant

Your doctor will numb the area before inserting the needle, and then drain the fluid. Depending upon the amount of fluid to be drained, the procedure can take anywhere from a few minutes to days. Paracentesis can be performed in the doctor’s office, the hospital or an emergency room.

Remember to follow your post-operative care instructions carefully, and let your doctor know of any issues you have after the procedure. Also, make sure to document all the information you receive during and after the procedure for future reference.

Plant alkaloids are cell-cycle specific, meaning they attack the cancer cells during various phases of division. The various plant alkaloid types include:

• Vinca alkaloids made from the periwinkle plant (catharanthus rosea)
• Taxanes made from Pacific Yew tree bark (taxus)
• Podophyllotoxins made from the May apple plant.
• Camptothecan analogs made from the Asian “Happy Tree” (Camptotheca acuminate

Vinca alkaloids and taxanes are also known as antimicrotubule agents, meaning they prevent cell division and replication, eventually resulting in cell death. Podophyllotoxins and camptothecan analogs are also known as topoisomerase inhibitors, meaning they interrupt the DNA of the cell, which also eventually results in cell death.

The popular chemotherapy drug names for each of these plant alkaloids include:

• Vinca alkaloids – Vincristine, Vinblastine and Vinorelbine (Navelbine)
• Taxanes – Paclitaxel and Docetaxel
• Podophyllotoxins – Etoposide and Tenisopide
• Camptothecan analogs – Irinotecan and Topotecan

Chemotherapy drugs often have side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weight loss and hair loss. It is very important to discuss details about your mesothelioma treatment with your doctor, particularly with regard to any medications you are taking, or any health issues you may have.

We understand you have a lot of questions that require answers in a short period of time. Research takes time, and sometimes it would be nice to speak with someone who can help you sort out the details. Contact one of our mesothelioma family advocates to ask questions and learn about your options. They can help.

There are three types of thoracotomy:

• A segmentectomy (also known as a wedge resection) which removes a wedge section where the cancer is located
• A lobectomy which removes an entire lobe of your lung.
• A pneumonectomy which removes an entire lung.

Each of these surgeries is considered a major procedure. Therefore, you should discuss in detail the preparations you need to make prior to having a thoracotomy. Some discussion points you may want to consider:

• Stop taking aspirin or ibuprofen before the surgery
• Notify your doctor of all medications you currently take, and make sure to discuss which medications, if any, you can take on the day of surgery
• Exactly what mesothelioma symptoms you presently have, and what to do if they get worse before surgery

When you arrive at the hospital, there are several procedures that will most likely take place, including:

• Taking and monitoring your vital signs
• Blood tests
• Chest x-rays
• Heart monitoring
• Pulse Oximeter
• Swan-Ganz (passing a thin tube into a vein near the collarbone and then into the heart and lungs to provide monitoring and give medicine)

After surgery, in addition to the typical procedures given after major surgery, you will be given breathing treatments and exercises. These will ensure that your lungs are functioning correctly and continue to get stronger, both while hospitalized and after you return home.

Make sure to document and follow all your post-operative care procedures to ensure the safest and quickest recovery. Also, consider asking for assistance if you live alone to allow for several days of help after surgery. As with any major surgery, you will need some help to get back on your feet.