Scientists in Japan have just published details of a case they say could be a key to the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Pleural mesothelioma is usually caused by exposure to asbestos affecting the membrane around the lungs. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, a chemotherapy combination of two drugs, cisplatin and pemetrexed, also known as Alimta, are the usual treatment. Unfortunately, many patients cannot have high doses of cisplatin because of the danger of liver damage.

However, respiratory medicine specialists at Uji Tokushukai Medical Center in Japan say that there may be a solution to the problem by stopping the cisplatin but continue with pemetrexed. Dr. Takayuki Takeda and his team have cited the case of a 69 year old mesothelioma patient who saw a partial tumor response but developed signs of liver toxicity after receiving five cycles of cisplatin and pemetrexed.

According to their report in Internal Medicine, they then stopped the cisplatin but continued with 18 more cycles of permetrexed which produced what they called a “complete response’ and stopped the tumor’s growth.

The researchers concluded that this appears very promising and further investigation is urgently needed.

If you have been exposed to asbestos, and have developed an asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma, contact the Law Office of Brayton Purcell, LLP  at  (800) 598-0314 immediately. Or contact us online for a free consultation.

Scientists at the University of Western Australia have announced that they have discovered a combination of three mesothelioma drugs that target immune system proteins has the power to knock out mesothelioma in mice.

According to Shruti Krishnan, lead author of the study at the UWA School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, the three drugs with triple immunotherapy protocol produced complete clearance of established mesothelioma tumors in the mice.  It appears to make little difference whether the drugs were administered one at a time or all at the same time.

The new research is published in the Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research and whilst it is thought it could work for many different types of cancer, the fact that it worked in mesothelioma is an exciting discovery as mesothelioma traditionally appears to have a limited range of treatment options.

If you have been exposed to asbestos, and have developed an asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma, contact the Law Office of Brayton Purcell, LLP  at  (800) 598-0314 immediately. Or contact us online for a free consultation.

One of the country’s top mesothelioma surgeons, Dr. David Sugarbaker, Director of the Lung Institute at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, has just published a study he says confirms the role of lymph node involvement in survival after radical mesothelioma surgery.

Dr. Sugarbaker is one of the most experienced practioners of a radical surgical approach to malignant pleural mesothelioma called extrapleural pneumonectomy which aims to prevent the spread or return of mesothelioma, by not only removing the tumor and the pleural lining where it is, but also the nearest lung, all or part of the diaphragm, the lining around the heart, and other at-risk tissues.

Although some consider the procedure dangerous, in a new study, Dr. Sugarbaker proves that survival after EPP has a lot to do with how far into the lymph system mesothelioma has spread.

In the study, 5% of the mesothelioma patients who had EPP died either in the hospital or within 30 days of surgery. But 4% of patients who had the procedure lived for 10 years or more. Sixty-seven percent lived for at least a year after surgery and 14% were still alive at 5 years. The difference appeared to be influenced, in part, by whether or not the cancer had spread to patients’ lymph nodes.

The study confirms that lymph node status is significantly correlated with overall survival in patients.

If you have been exposed to asbestos, and have developed an asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma, contact the Law Office of Brayton Purcell, LLP  at  (800) 598-0314 immediately. Or contact us online for a free consultation.

There is a potential new treatment for mesothelioma patients, option involving photodynamic therapy or PDT, which is also known as photoradiation therapy, phototherapy or photochemotherapy.

The treatment involves the patient being given a chemical which makes their cells sensitive to light and then a physician shines a special laser on the tumors. It is less invasive than surgery and has no reported long term side effects.

However a few people can be allergic to the sensitizing drug and the eyes and skin can also become very sensitive to light for a long time afterwards, some 5 to 6 weeks, so need to dress with their body totally covered with clothes.

PDT has been used in the treatment of cancer of the esophagus and endobronchial cancer and has produced longer survival rates.  It is now being studied as a treatment for localized cancers which have not spread and on those patients with epithelial mesothelioma where it has been seen again to produce longer survival rates.

If you have been exposed to asbestos, and have developed an asbestos related disease such as mesothelioma, contact the Law Office of Brayton Purcell, LLP  at  (800) 598-0314 immediately. Or contact us online for a free consultation.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer which can affect not only the respiratory system but also cause such complications, such as heart disease. As the following video indicates, the treatment options for those who suffer from mesothelioma and its attendant complications really do vary based on the individual’s particular situation, including age and how advanced the disease has become.

http://youtu.be/Cin9gd-MsZs

As can be seen in the video oncologists must take multiple different factors into account when determining how to best treat a mesothelioma diagnosis. According to physician interviewed here, chemotherapy can be successfully completed for the vast majority of mesothelioma patients.

Once again, each individual situation must be evaluated by a qualified physician, who will then draw up a personalized plan of attack.

If you or someone you know has suffered the results of asbestos related disease, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, or lung cancer, contact the Law Office of Brayton Purcell, LLP  at  (800) 598-0314 immediately, or contact us online for a free consultation