Asbestos & Mesothelioma Studies
Known as a bisphosphonate, zoledronic acid is typically used for bone diseases such as osteoporosis, and to treat high calcium levels in the blood that can lead to other health complications. Nitrogen containing bisphosphonates like zoledronic acid are known to have cancer suppressing qualities, and scientists and researchers were eager to find out if zoledronic…
Asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma and asbestosis have been known to develop over a period of decades, affecting people years and years since their last exposure. Many studies over the years have suggested that the length of the amount of time that has passed since initial exposure and subsequent symptoms can increase the risk of…
A Phase I study for cediranib, a VEGFR/PDGFR kinase inhibitor, showed promising results in shrinking tumor size and increasing survival rates for those suffering from malignant pleural mesothelioma. This is not the first time cediranib has been studied as a possible treatment for mesothelioma. In 2011/2012 a Phase II trial for cediranib conducted by researchers…
Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer that is difficult to diagnose because symptoms often mimic other diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis or lung cancer. Pathology reports and biopsies help distinguish this cancer from other illnesses, but often patients will have already developed more serious symptoms because the cancer has spread by the time it…
A recent study published in the British Journal of Cancer compared survival rates of mesothelioma patients that received their diagnosis through either cytological or by histological method for those with the epithelioid, biphasic, or sarcomatoid subtype of mesothelioma. The concern is that those with the biphasic subtype of mesothelioma are under diagnosed when epithelioid mesothelioma…
A Phase I clinical trial for an immunotherapy treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is currently underway at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Immunotherapy treatments support the body’s immune system response to diseases. It is often looked to as a positive alternative for treating malignancies such as mesothelioma because…
A biopharmaceutical company named Aduro Biotech recently announced its collaboration with Merck to further evaluate the findings for the Phase II trial of KEYTRUDA ® (pembrolizumab) and to combine their own immunotherapy treatment, CRS-207. Information regarding KEYTRUDA ® treatment began to circulate late last year when data presented at the 17th World Conference on Lung…
The results of a 2016 Phase III trial of the monoclonal antibody bevacizumab (Avastin) have established another option for treatment for those suffering from malignant pleural mesothelioma. Angiogenesis, which is the formation of new blood vessels, plays a key role in mesothelioma because it allows the tumors and cancer to spread. However, scientists and researchers…
While surgical techniques are not the most common effort when it comes to treating mesothelioma, the pleurectomy/decortication (P/D) is a technique that has been the most successful over the years. A recent study took a look at the different surgical techniques that can be used with P/D and noted the overall effects on the patient.…
Although still in the preliminary stages, scientists and researchers are excited to announce recent research involving a treatment that is used for certain types of multiple sclerosis (MS) and its effects on combating mesothelioma. This therapeutic agent is called Immune System Modulator FTY720 (fingolimod) and is interestingly derived from a certain type of fungus called…
