Greek Researchers Working on New Mesothelioma Treatment
Researchers and scientists in Greece have announced results of a single institution Phase II study which tested a new possible treatment for mesothelioma. There was encouraging success according to a recently publicized report.
Researchers from the Athens University School of Medicine in Greece tested the effectiveness of gemcitabine plus docetaxel as a chemotherapy option.
Standard treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma is combinations of Alimta (permetrexed) and Cisplatin (gemcitabine). This study was to examine the efficacy of the new combination Cisplatin (gemcitabine) and Taxotere (docetaxel) in the first-line setting. This combination has not been investigated before.
Of the twenty-five patients who suffer from malignant pleural mesothelioma and participated in the trial, seven responded to the treatment. They received 80 mg of docetaxel and 1,000 mg of gemcitabine on days 1 and 4 of a 28-day cycle.
The treatment was scheduled for a maximum of 6 cycles or until the disease showed signs of progression or unacceptable toxicity became present. These seven patients’ tumors shrunk in size. For fourteen of the patients there was no change in tumor size and the remaining four patients had tumors increase in size.
The researchers concluded the administration of gemcitabine and docetaxel appears to be promising first-line therapy for patients with mesothelioma. It is well tolerated and appears to improve survival.
Raise Awareness Today, National Mesothelioma Awareness Day
Today is National Mesothelioma Awareness Day, a yearly event that seeks to raise the public’s understanding of mesothelioma, asbestos exposure, and the lack of funding for mesothelioma research and treatment.
The day, begun in 2005 by a group of volunteers working for the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and who had been personally affected by mesothelioma, will include local events in more than 20 cities and radio spots on more than 100 stations across the country.
The radio announcements will begin with music by well known singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, who died from mesothelioma in 2003. A short segment about mesothelioma will follow. Despite his heavy smoking habit, Devon was very healthy and hadn’t visited a doctor in over 20 years before being forced to be seen by a nagging cough and chest pain. He was diagnosed with an advanced stage of pleural mesothelioma and few treatment options were available to him.
Because the disease is relatively rare, research for a cure is under funded. When diagnosed, victims are told there is no cure and mesothelioma treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery at best only slow the spread of the disease. A few experimental treatments such as immunotherapy, gene therapy, photodynamic therapy and anti-angiogenesis therapy offer hope of a cure in the future, but more research is needed.
To learn more about how you can help raise awareness in your area, visit the National Mesothelioma Awareness Day webpage.
New Mesothelioma Test Distributed to Middle East
Rosetta Genomics, Ltd., a leading developer of microRNa-based molecular diagnostics, and Super Religare Laboratories Limited (SRL), India”s largest diagnostics network, have announced they have signed an exclusive distribution agreement for Rosetta”s three diagnostic tests, including a test for mesothelioma.
The agreement allows SRL to market Rosetta tests in India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
MicroRNas are gaining immense importance in the field of diagnostics and targeted therapy. The novel concept of microRNA based molecular signatures for identifying or characterizing cancer types is rapidly gaining acceptance in clinical practice.
One of the tests, the miRview meso, leverages microRNAs specificity as biomarkers to differentiate mesothelioma from other carcinomas in the lung. Mesothelioma patients need to begin treatment as soon as possible, so receiving an accurate diagnosis is very important. miRview meso is a very accurate test that allows physicians to make a more specific diagnosis.
New Jersey Town Approves Naming September 26 as Mesothelioma Awareness Day
Apparently you can fight City Hall.
At least that’s what Bonnie Anderson and her husband John found out when they attended a Township Council meeting in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, where September 26th was officially named Mesothelioma Awareness Day. Anderson has survived over seven years with mesothelioma. She, along with her entire family, is working to assist senators and congressmen in obtaining funding for research to find a cure for this rare form of asbestos cancer.
Because of determined citizens like her, the states of Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kentucky and New York have already recognized September 26 as National Mesothelioma Awareness Day. Other places have also proclaimed an official awareness day in their own towns as well. They include Austin, Texas, Santa Barbara, California, and Seattle, Washington.
It all started when the first recognized Mesothelioma Awareness Day was declared in 2003 by the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania City Council. Local action is vital when it comes to raising awareness and involvement. You can help raise awareness by getting Mesothelioma Awareness Day made official in your city, state and even the nation. It begins by simply contacting your local government and encouraging them to declare September 26th as Mesothelioma Awareness Day.
For more information on how you can help, visit the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.
Nuclear Site Workers at Risk for Mesothelioma
A recent report in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine says construction workers at four Department of Energy (DOE) sites have been exposed to asbestos and other dangerous materials. This exposure puts them at risk for mesothelioma, other asbestos cancers, and lung disease.
Beginning in 1996, the government established medical screening and surveillance programs to determine workers’ health risks at four DOE sites in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Richland, Washington; Aiken, South Carolina, and the Amchitka site in Alaska. The programs included medical exams.
During a recent study that included a look at mortality rates among nearly 9000 construction workers at the sites, it was found that 674 workers died. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was in excess at the Tennessee site and multiple myeloma was excessive at the Washington plant. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was elevated among workers at the South Carolina site. In conclusion it was learned that workers at the four sites were found to have significant risk for asbestos-related cancers, such as mesothelioma.
When researchers looked at people in certain types of DOE nuclear site jobs, they saw a spike in death rates. Asbestos workers/insulators had a 93% risk and teamsters had a 60% higher risk. Construction workers at the sites faced a higher risk for lung cancer and mesothelioma. “Asbestos use at the sites was not controlled well,” said John M. Dement, Professor at Duke University Medical Center. “Clearly there’s a need for better asbestos control,” he added.
Dr. Dement hopes the data found during the research will help DOE sites design programs to assess workers’ exposures and put preventive programs in place. Prevention is important but workers who are already at risk must be treated.
For more information on mesothelioma, request our Mesothelioma Information Guide and Care Organizer, or contact one of our mesothelioma family advocates who will happily answer your questions.
