Posts by Steven Chervenick
Women with Pleural Mesothelioma Live Longer Compared to Men
Mesothelioma is not found in as many women as men, but studies show that women can survive longer than men. Researchers at the International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that a gene can help predict the prognosis and treatment outcome for women patients with mesothelioma. Researchers want to find therapies…
Read MoreFrequency and Clinical Phenotype of BAP1 Hereditary Predisposition Syndrome
Primary Outcome Measures Prevalence of germline BAP1 variants in the unselected general population of cancer patients [ Time Frame: 5 years ] Clinical phenotypes (this includes premalignant lesions, tumor type and age of onset) in at risk blood-line family members of the patients [ Time Frame: 5 years ] Secondary Outcome Measures Environmental risk factors modifying cancer risk [ Time Frame: 10 years ] Genetic risk factors…
Read MoreONCOS-102 Improves Pleural Mesothelioma Survival
There is promising new data from the makers of ONCOS-102 that shows that the treatment can help improve the long-term survival of mesothelioma patients. ONCOS-102 was recently given Fast-Track approval by the FDA to speed up its development. ONCOS-102 is a modified adenovirus that infects cancer cells. The new mesothelioma patient data is showing that…
Read MoreEvaluation of the Clinical/Biological Characteristics, Efficacy and Safety of Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, Treated by Immunotherapy (MESOIMMUNE)
Primary Outcome Measures Disease control [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ] Disease control rate at 12 weeks Secondary Outcome Measures Survival with anti-PD1/PDL1 immunotherapy [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ] Overall survival from treatment with anti-PD1/PDL1 immunotherapy Duration of treatment [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ] Duration of treatment with PD1/PDL1 immunotherapy Survival [ Time Frame: 12 weeks ] Overall survival from the start of the first treatment Tolerance of treatment…
Read MoreResearchers are Developing a Test to Determine Which Mesothelioma Patients Will Benefit From Immunotherapy
Doctors want to figure out which pleural mesothelioma patients will best benefit from certain chemotherapy drugs. Currently there are no tests to see what immunotherapy drugs might work on a specific patient. This leads to doctors trying out different treatments that have negative side effects to only find out the treatment does not work. Researchers…
Read MoreThe ONCOS-102 Vaccine Was Just Given the Fast-Track Designation
The ONCOS-102 immunotherapy vaccine was given the Fast-Track Designation, which will speed up regulatory approval. The vaccine is used to treat mesothelioma and other cancers. Targovax, which developed the treatment, is taking this as an endorsement from the FDA. Targovax is a small biotech company that mainly works with oncolytic viruses. The company believes that…
Read MoreGenetic Testing Could Help Reduce Mesothelioma Cases and Help the Survival of Those Suffering from the Disease
Researchers believe that early genetic testing for genetic mutations can help reduce the cases of mesothelioma and can help increase the survival of those suffering from the disease. Researchers found that new mutations in the BLM gene were making people more susceptible to developing mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos. The researchers believe that testing…
Read MoreNivolumab Can Help Increase the Survival in Mesothelioma Patients Whose Cancer Has Relapsed
A study in the United Kingdom involving 332 patients who cannot receive surgery (unresectable) found that patients whose mesothelioma has relapsed can be treated with nivolumab safely. Nivolumab is an immunotherapy drug known as Opdivo, which is popular for treating non-small cell lung cancer. Opdivo is promising because it is the first drug tested to…
Read MoreGemcitabine Used as a Maintenance Therapy Could Help Mesothelioma Patients Live Longer
Using maintenance therapy with gemcitabine alongside chemotherapy can help increase survival in patients compared to patients just receiving palliative care. Gemcitabine is an antimetabolite, which prevents cancer cells from dividing into new cancer cells. Chemotherapy is usually the first line treatment for mesothelioma, and if patients are able to receive surgery, it is used as…
Read MoreSMART Mesothelioma Procedure Could Extend the Lives of Certain Mesothelioma Patients
Accelerated high dose radiation before surgery created a 65.9 month survival for mesothelioma patients. They were part of a clinical trial in Toronto at the Princess Margaret Cancer Center. The study is named SMART, an acronym for Surgery for Mesothelioma After Radiation Therapy. There were 96 patients who were treated between the years 2008 and…
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