Missing Enzyme Key to New Mesothelioma Treatment
A new study by Dartmouth Medical School and Amtek, gives hope to patients with cancer tumors that are resistant to traditional treatment options, including mesothelioma. The researchers developed a treatment using two chemical agents to kill tumors while protecting healthy cells.
The study uses previous research suggesting that methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP), an enzyme, is missing in a percentage of certain cancer types. The cancers lacking MTAP include:
- Lung cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Pancreatic Cancer
- T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
The strategy being employed in the study is to give two drugs to cancer patients – one is highly toxic and can damage both cancer and healthy cells, and the other protects healthy tissues from the first drug’s toxicity. Two of the drugs presently in use in the study are thioguanine and fluorouracil.
There are animal studies presently underway, with the hope that clinical applications will be possible. The study is lead by Dr. Martin Lubin and Adam Lubin of Amtek.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer, and getting appropriate treatment is critical. For more information, check out our mesothelioma treatment pages or contact one of our mesothelioma family advocates.
MD Anderson Cancer Center Specializes in Mesothelioma Treatment
Recently Anne Tsao, M.D., Director of the Mesothelioma Program at MD Anderson Cancer Center, was interviewed on Patient Power, an online radio program sponsored by MD Anderson and hosted by a former patient, Andrew Shore. Also on the program was Kathy Evans, a 54-year-old woman from Lumberton, TX who learned she had mesothelioma in 2008.
Mesothelioma, a rare asbestos cancer of the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart, can be difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are common to other ailments, such as the flu. There are approximately 3000 new cases of mesothelioma in the United States annually.
Given only 6 months to live, Ms. Evans asked to go to MD Anderson as soon as she learned her diagnosis. Her primary physician from Anderson, Dr. Tsao, explained why this request was a very good idea.
MD Anderson Cancer Center has a program specifically for mesothelioma patients, and they have ongoing clinical trials in all settings. Additionally, they have a very large translational program actively investigating new targets for therapy, as well as over 30 physicians from all multidisciplinary groups (surgery, radiation oncology, pulmonary, thoracic oncology, radiology) who specialize in mesothelioma treatment.
There are two main types of surgery to remove tumors. One is the pleurectomy decortication, which debulks the tumor and peels it off the lung. Many surgeons are familiar with this procedure because it is also performed on lung cancer patients.
The second surgery, extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), is major surgery that should only be performed by an experienced mesothelioma surgeon. Dr. David Rice performed Ms. Evans’ surgery. This surgery, which can take many hours, removes the tumor, lung and lining around the heart and portions of diaphragm. After removal, these areas must be reconstructed. It is also important to have a radiology oncologist who knows how to treat mesothelioma as part of your post surgery care.
Dr. Tsao believes the best chance for improving the life of a mesothelioma patient is not only early and accurate diagnosis, but evaluation and treatment by a major cancer center with mesothelioma programs. For example, because of the multiple mesothelioma clinical studies presently underway at MD Anderson, Ms. Evans was able to participate in one that helped her live beyond the original 6 month life expectancy originally diagnosed.
Ms. Evans knows that her mesothelioma is not curable but is thankful that she went to MD Anderson and had the opportunity to participate not only in the clinical trial, but received care from expert mesothelioma doctors such as Dr. Tsao and Dr. Rice.
Dr. Tsao stated that in addition to getting an early and accurate diagnosis for mesothelioma, the following are also important:
- Annual check-ups.
- See your doctor immediately if chronic symptoms occur, such as coughing or chest pain.
- If fluid buildup in the chest occurs, getting a thoracentesis is important, as well as having the fluid checked for cancer or infection.
If there is any hint that the diagnosis is cancer, Dr. Tsao recommends going to a major cancer center for evaluation. She stated that large multidisciplinary cancer programs provide the best treatment for patients. She warned that having treatments performed before going to a cancer center can prevent a patient from entering a clinical trial that may have provided better treatment.
Mesothelioma is not curable, but there are some measures that can be taken to perhaps extend and improve your life. For more information, contact one of our mesothelioma family advocates or visit our mesothelioma cancer centers page to help you learn about major cancer centers in your area.
Reference: M. D. Anderson Presents Patient Power – June 9, 2009
Common Symptoms May Really Be Mesothelioma
The challenge in diagnosing mesothelioma is the symptoms are very common to other, less severe illnesses. Primary symptoms of mesothelioma are the same as a common cold or flu, and include:
- Coughing
- Fever
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
Unfortunately, the commonality of the symptoms means that mesothelioma is often diagnosed in its late stages, making treatment difficult. The key to a quick and early diagnosis is for your doctor to know that you were exposed to asbestos, the primary cause of mesothelioma.
Fortunately, even after receiving a diagnosis of mesothelioma, you have choices and can determine the best mesothelioma treatment options for your cancer type and stage. Initially, your doctor will run tests such as CT scans and MRI’s to learn more about your condition.
After learning the results of your tests, you and your doctor will need to make decisions regarding your treatment. Do you want to stay with the conventional therapies, such as surgery, chemotherapy drugs and radiation, or do you want to try a more experimental approach, such as gene therapy, or photodynamic therapy (combining certain drugs and light to kill cancer cells)?
If you qualify, there are clinical trials that give you access to treatment programs not available to the general public. Whatever direction you may wish to go, you should consult your medical team and your family to weigh all the options and determine the best course of mesothelioma treatment for you.
IMRT May Be Beneficial in Pleural Mesothelioma Treatment
When treating mesothelioma, doctors often recommend more than one treatment, known as multimodality therapy. In the case of early stage malignant pleural mesothelioma, mesothelioma therapies include extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP), chemotherapy, and radiotherapy (RT).
A recent study was performed on 86 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma to learn about the effects of RT, and if advanced mesothelioma treatment planning techniques, such as intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) would be beneficial. The study was performed from 1993 to 2008 on patients who underwent EPP followed by hemithoracic RT.
The results showed that no patients died of RT, but that several might have benefitted from receiving IMRT instead of the photon-electron technique they originally received. The study indicated that some patients may receive better coverage from receiving IMRT. The study, published in The Journal of Thoracic Oncology, concluded that the advantages of IMRT should be balanced against the increased risk of fatal pulmonary toxicity.
Consulting with your mesothelioma doctor is critical to determining the best treatment options. There are many medical terms to learn and research to perform to understand what treatment path is the best for you. To maintain all your research and documentation in one place, consider requesting our complimentary Mesothelioma Information Guide. It will help you stay organized and provide one place to document all your notes and medical information.
University of Minnesota launches Study on Mesothelioma Cases in Iron Ore Workers
Researchers and physicians from the University of Minnesota are searching for former and current taconite industry workers for a major medical study. Many “Iron Rangers” have rare and fatal lunch diseases such as mesothelioma. The University of Minnesota’s study will try to ascertain whether exposure to dust from the taconite industry is causing the disease.
The University intends to select 1,200 current and former taconite workers, as well as 800 spouses, to undergo exams including health questionnaires, breathing tests, X-rays, and blood work. The survey participants will range in age, have worked at different companies, and have lived in various Iron Range locations.
The Iron Range consists of the northeastern section of Minnesota that contains distinct bands of iron ore. About 98% of iron ore is used to make steel. Taconite is a low-grade iron ore that contains up to 30% of Magnetite and Hematite, and has also been used as an aggregate in asphalt.
