Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

Mesothelioma Clinical Trials For some patients, participation in a mesothelioma clinical trial may offer new hope in the face of a poor prognosis. Mesothelioma is an aggressive disease, and treatment options for advanced cases are limited. Mesothelioma clinical trials allow researchers to learn whether a new medication or procedure is effective and safe for use in humans. Studies of human subjects are a front-line weapon in the quest to find treatments and cures for mesothelioma and other cancers. No one knows in advance how a mesothelioma clinical trial will turn out - that is what makes a trial necessary. And that is what makes choosing whether or not to participate in a clinical trial one of the toughest and most personal decisions facing a person with mesothelioma. There is no right or wrong choice; no single solution for all patients.

Benefits and Risks of Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

As in any decision-making process, there are steps mesothelioma patients can take to help them decide whether or not to participate in a clinical trial. The first step is to take an honest, critical look at the general benefits and risks of being a test subject.

Potential Benefits of Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

• Mesothelioma clinical trial participants may receive health care provided by leading physicians in the treatment of asbestos-related diseases.
• Subjects may have access to new drugs and treatments before they become widely available, and may be among the first to benefit if they prove effective.
• Participants' health will be closely monitored during a study.
• Choosing participation in a mesothelioma clinical trial allows mesothelioma patients to take an active role in treatment, which may help them feel more in control.
• Subjects make a personal, valuable contribution to mesothelioma research.

Potential Risks of Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

• Trial medications and treatments may cause side effects or risks not known to researchers.
• Mesothelioma clinical trial drugs and procedures may be ineffective or deliver less benefit than current approaches.
• Trial approaches that prove beneficial for some may not work for all.

Is There a Mesothelioma Clinical Trial for You? If you have mesothelioma and are wondering whether you might benefit from participating in a mesothelioma clinical trial, you may wish to talk to your doctor. He or she can tell you whether a clinical trial is a viable option for you and help you identify trials for which you may be qualified. You can also explore the option of mesothelioma clinical trials on the Internet. ClinicalTrials.gov is a website provided by the National Institutes of Health that offers a searchable database where patients can find information on current trials. The National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov) and the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org) offer similar services.

New Mesothelioma Treatments

New Treatments for Mesothelioma Current research focuses on causes, prevention, and improving accuracy of diagnosis and effectiveness of mesothelioma treatments. In spite of advances in research, there is still a great deal to be learned. Mesothelioma treatments that combine surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, called multimodality therapy, are now being studied. These may provide the most promising option for some patients. New chemotherapy drugs and other types of mesothelioma treatments are the subjects of current clinical trials. Gene Therapy A new approach to mesothelioma treatment is gene therapy, using special viruses that have been modified in the laboratory. In gene therapy, the modified virus is injected into the pleural (chest) space and infects the mesothelioma cells. The virus injects a gene into the tumor that heightens the effects of a mesothelioma-fighting drug. Immunotherapy Immunotherapy - treatment methods that fight mesothelioma through the body's immune system - is being evaluated in clinical trials. With immunotherapy, substances called biological response modifiers (BRMs) may be made by the body or in a laboratory. BRMs are used to boost, direct, or restore the body's natural ability to defend itself against cancer. This type of mesothelioma treatment is also called biologic therapy or biotherapy. Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) IMRT is a new radiotherapy technique that has proven to be effective in controlling localized malignant mesothelioma. IMRT mesothelioma treatment delivers high doses of radiation to mesothelioma tumors, regardless of their size or shape. Precise targeting of radiation makes IMRT a preferred mesothelioma treatment over standard radiotherapy, in which the healthy tissue surrounding the tumor may also be exposed to high levels of radiation. Tumors that would once have been considered untreatable because of their proximity to vital organs can now be treated using IMRT. Chemotherapy Chemotherapy is the use of cancer-fighting drugs in the treatment of mesothelioma. Although chemotherapy has long been used in the treatment of mesothelioma, the search for safer and more effective chemotherapy drugs is ongoing. Alimta is the brand name for one such drug, chemically similar to folic acid, which is being tested for the treatment of mesothelioma. Alimta is used alone for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic lung cancers whose growth has not been slowed by traditional chemotherapy treatments. When used in conjunction with cisplatin, Alimta is the only agent approved by the Food and Drug Administration for specific use in combating malignant pleural mesothelioma. Anti-angiogenesis drugs are relatively new mesothelioma treatments that have been successful in shrinking and killing cancerous cells in animals. Although the success of anti-angiogenesis drugs in humans has not been proven, they are expected to yield similar results. Veglin is an anti-angiogenesis drug designed to target a wide range of cancers, including malignant mesothelioma.

Asbestos Side Effects

Side Effects of Asbestos Exposure The side effects resulting from asbestos exposure have been a topic of great concern in recent years. Asbestos has been identified as a carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. No level of exposure to asbestos is known to be safe, and in fact, inhaled asbestos fibers can have serious side effects on human health. Smoking or exposure to cigarette smoke, combined with exposure to asbestos, greatly increases the likelihood of developing lung cancer. The greater the amount and time of exposure to asbestos, the greater the risk of developing serious side effects, such as malignant mesothelioma. The length of time between exposure to asbestos and the first signs of disease can be as much as 50 years. Malignant Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma is one of the more serious side effect of asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is a very serious form of cancer affecting the smooth lining of the chest, lungs, heart and abdomen. Between 2,000 and 3,000 new cases of malignant mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year - and this number continues to rise. Mesothelioma often goes undetected until symptoms appear - typically decades after the initial asbestos exposure. While advances are being made almost daily in mesothelioma research and treatments, at this time malignant mesothelioma is considered to be a terminal disease. As in all cancers, early diagnosis and treatment offer the best hope for a favorable outcome in a patient with malignant mesothelioma. Other Side Effects of Asbestos Exposure Besides causing cancer, breathing asbestos can also cause a side effect called asbestosis, a slow accumulation of scar-like tissue in the lungs. Because the scar-like tissue does not expand and contract like normal lung tissue, breathing becomes difficult and blood flow to the lung may be decreased, causing the heart to enlarge. Changes in the lining of the lungs-such as thickening and fluid around the lungs-may be early signs of asbestos-related side effects. The side effects from swallowing asbestos are less clear. Some people who have been exposed to asbestos fibers in their drinking water have higher-than-average death rates from cancer of the esophagus, stomach, and intestines; however, a definite link to asbestos exposure has not been determined in these cases. When asbestos fibers penetrate the skin, non-malignant warts may emerge as another unpleasant side effect of asbestos exposure.