Novel Treatments & Drugs
Researchers have possibly found a less invasive way to diagnose pleural mesothelioma. By looking at the patient’s medical history and using CT scans, researchers at the Universite Laval in Quebec have found that imaging technology can be used potentially to benefit very sick patients. Doctors have never been able to diagnose people with mesothelioma based…
A new cancer treatment using electricity has been approved for use in mesothelioma patients. The NovoTTF-100L uses Tumor Treating Fields, which are electric signals tuned to a specific frequency, to disrupt cancerous cell division. The fields are applied to the patient with adhesive bandages and are used for at least 18 hours a day. This…
Biomarkers are measureable substances that indicate if someone has a disease. Doctors and researchers are able to find different substances within a person’s body and deduce that the person has a specific type of cancer. Researchers have found a relatively new biomarker called microRNA, which could possibly be used to diagnose mesothelioma. MicroRNAs control gene…
The immune system is the body’s first line of defense when fighting off any illness, attacking foreign organisms or other substances that may harm or threaten the over health of the body. When the immune system is compromised, the body is unable to fight infections and becomes weak as the illness takes over. For those…
Pleural mesothelioma, caused by exposure to asbestos is a rare cancer – only 3,000 cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year – but it is highly aggressive. There is no cure for plural mesothelioma but findings published in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery reveal that a new type of combination treatment specifically…
In the Fall of 2018 scientists and researchers from Novocure, an oncology company that specializes in treating solid tumors, were hopeful their latest success with Tumor Treating Fields therapy would lead to FDA approval and ultimately, more options for those suffering from mesothelioma. After a successful clinical trial, these hopes became a reality as the…
When it comes to effective mesothelioma treatments, options are unfortunately limited. There is no cure for mesothelioma and first line chemotherapy treatment Alimta, is no guarantee. Many who are suffering from mesothelioma, who have found little or no comfort in traditional treatments, may turn to clinical trials for hope. Through clinical trials, patients have access…
A Phase III clinical trial is now underway in the pivotal study of interferon alfa-2b gene therapy in pleural mesothelioma. After promising results from the Phase II clinical trial, scientists and researchers are hopeful they are just one step away from FDA approval for this cancer treatment that is over 20 years in the making.…
Late last month, the Clinical Respiratory Journal released their findings on the efficacy of intrapleural immunotherapy, which is a highly targeted approach of receiving immunotherapy treatment for those suffering from mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer caused only by asbestos exposure. Since asbestos is the only known cause, mesothelioma is sometimes referred to as “asbestos cancer.”…
Correcting genes that allow cancerous tumors to grow is the basis behind gene therapy, a relatively new treatment that is largely in experimental stages. The initial goals of gene therapy were to address hereditary genetic disorders, but other factors such as the sun, smoking, chemical exposure, etc., can all damage and change our DNA and…
