Recently Dr. Harvey Pass of NYU Langone Medical Center in New York and Dr. Michelle Carbone of John A. Burns School of Medicine in Honolulu of published an update on screening for malignant pleural mesothelioma found on the Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery web site. The report stated that early detection of mesothelioma could find patients at a more treatable stage, resulting in prolonged survival over the present median of 12 months.

Past studies frequently used chest X-rays for screening patients. However, X-rays are not sensitive enough to effectively screen patients with mesothelioma. With the help of computerized tomography, more recent studies stress the importance of detailing suspicious changes which could provide an earlier diagnosis.

The most recent studies use serum biomarkers. These biomarkers may have the ability to distinguish people exposed to asbestos that do not have cancer from those with mesothelioma before the onset of the disease. The biomarker types include:

• Soluble, mesothelin-related protein
• Osteopontin
• Megakaryocyte potentiating factor

These markers may be included in screening trials to monitor individuals exposed to asbestos and considered high-risk. Continued improvement in screening for asbestos diseases, particularly mesothelioma, is critical to the patient’s ability to receive proper treatment and care. More information on clinical trials can be found on our web site, or you may contact us to answer your questions.

FirstHealth of the Carolinas Clinical Trials group is partnering with Wake Forest Medical School to further a research study on the development and progression of asbestos diseases, such as mesothelioma and asbestosis.

Dr. Jill Ohar of Wake Forest University has spent more than 20 years researching asbestos diseases. The current study examines both environmental factors and genetic markers of those with a mesothelioma diagnosis. The focus is to attempt to identify how often environmental pollutants affect the body, as well as genetic factors that perhaps make some families to susceptible to mesothelioma and other forms of asbestos cancer.

You may request more information about the clinical trial by contacting FirstHealth Clinical Trials at 910-715-2200. Or review our web site for more information about other mesothelioma clinical trials.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is currently looking for participants for a clinical drug trial testing the effectiveness of the cancer drug gefitinib in treating malignant mesothelioma. Gefitinib, commonly known as Iressa ®, has been used primarily to treat non-small cell lung cancer as well as breast and prostate cancer.

Gefitinib works by blocking signals within the mesothelioma cancer cells. It attaches itself to epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) and prevents them from activating cell division. This treatment is different from chemotherapy in that has the potential to stop the cancer cells from growing.

Possible side effects of the drug are as follows:

• Diarrhea
• Acne-like rash
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Tiredness
• Eye Problems
• Change in blood pressure
• Breathing problems

Participants in the clinical trail will receive daily doses of the drug until unacceptable toxicity levels are reached or the cancer has stopped growing. Patients will be followed for 4 years. The NCI is looking for 40 participants with malignant mesothelioma that are not candidates for surgery or radiation. To learn more about the clinical trail, please contact the National Cancer Institute.

Japanese scientists may have discovered a more accurate way to diagnose mesothelioma with the creation of a device called the IT knife. The IT knife, an insulated-tip diathermic knife, is a special kind of tool that uses heat to cauterize a large piece of diseased tissue.

Because mesothelioma can remain undetected for so long (anywhere from 20-50 years) and because of it’s location in the patient’s body, often times medical professionals have trouble identifying whether or not the disease is actually mesothelioma, or a different lung disease all together like emphysema, bronchitis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

During this new procedure, after fluids are taken and analyzed from the pleural cavity, a biopsy is done using the IT knife rather than the traditional standard flexible forceps (SFF) to collect tissue samples for lab work and testing.

Not only is the IT knife biopsy performed quickly with no severe complications, studies show that the IT knife was 25% more likely to provide the information needed to establish a mesothelioma diagnosis than the SFF. Additionally, the IT knife biopsy was better than SFF in eight of the 20 cases – three of which had malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Because the piece of tissue capable of being collected by the IT knife is larger in size than the small piece normally collected with the SFF, the IT solution allows more information to be gathered and a more precise diagnosis to be made. This is good news for patients who need to begin immediate treatment for what is most likely an advanced stage of cancer.