Many people with malignant mesothelioma have worked or lived in places where they inhaled or swallowed asbestos. After being exposed to asbestos, it usually takes a long time for malignant mesothelioma to occur. Other risk factors for malignant mesothelioma include the following:
. Living with a person who works near asbestos.
. Being exposed to a certain virus.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Malignant mesothelioma
Malignant Mesothelioma is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the pleura (the thin layer of tissue that lines the chest cavity and covers the lungs) or the peritoneum (the thin layer of tissue that lines the abdomen and covers most of the organs in the abdomen). This summary is about malignant mesothelioma of the pleura.
Mesothelioma and Asbestos
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally-occurring fiber that, when released into the air, can be inhaled or swallowed. Asbestos has no smell or taste, and asbestos fibers are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye. Asbestos fibers can “stick” in the lung, abdomen and other body tissues and over time, lead to the development of asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma. There is a long latency period between asbestos exposure and the development of mesothelioma; in other words, decades may pass after a person’s first exposure to asbestos before he or she becomes ill. A person who has been diagnosed with asbestosis (a non-cancerous scarring of the lungs) is at an increased risk of developing mesothelioma in the future.
Millions of people in the U.S. have been exposed to asbestos, and it is estimated that approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. In these pages, you will read about asbestos and the common ways in which people have been exposed to asbestos.
Millions of people in the U.S. have been exposed to asbestos, and it is estimated that approximately 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. In these pages, you will read about asbestos and the common ways in which people have been exposed to asbestos.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Innovations in Treatment
Doctors and researchers are always on the lookout for new ways to treat malignant mesothelioma. The following innovations in treatment, while not a cure for malignant mesothelioma, show some promise in helping to treat the disease.
Alimta
Alimta, when given with another chemotherapy drug called cisplatin, is a chemotherapy drug recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy uses special drugs and a special type of light to kill cancer cells during surgery. A drug that makes cancer cells more sensitive to light is injected into the patient’s vein several days before surgery. During surgery, a special light is used to locate the cancer. This treatment is being studied for early stages of malignant mesothelioma.
Immunotherapy
This type of treatment harnesses the power of the body’s own immune system. Immunotherapy is currently being researched as a treatment for malignant mesothelioma.
Gene Therapy
In studies of gene therapy for cancer, the goal is to improve the body’s natural ability to fight malignant mesothelioma directly or to make the cancer cells more sensitive to other kinds of therapy.
Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy is radiation therapy applied from within the body as opposed to from a machine outside the body. Radioactive sources are placed in or near the tumor, giving a high radiation dose to the tumor while reducing the radiation exposure in surrounding healthy tissues. This precision can help to minimize side effects.
Clinical Trials
A clinical trial (also clinical research) is a research study using human volunteers to answer specific health questions. Carefully conducted clinical trials help discover treatments that work in people and ways to improve health. Interventional trials determine whether experimental treatments or new ways of using known therapies are safe and effective under controlled environments. Observational trials address health issues in large groups of people or populations in natural settings. If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial, talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial may be an appropriate option in your case.
Phase I
Phase I trials are considered the first step in testing the safety and efficacy of a new drug. Doctors and researchers are trying to determine many things about the drug’s effect on the disease and on the patient. Among the things that researchers are trying to determine are correct dosage, safety profile, and any side effects.
Phase II
At this stage, researchers select a relatively small group of patients to study the specific effects of the pre-determined dosage. Phase II studies also typically focus on a specific type of disease.
Phase III
During Phase III testing, researchers compare the effectiveness of the new, experimental drug against already existing therapies. Usually, patients are randomly assigned to therapeutic groups to cut down on the possibility of human bias. Phase III trials can be large, recruiting patients from across the country.
Alimta
Alimta, when given with another chemotherapy drug called cisplatin, is a chemotherapy drug recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy uses special drugs and a special type of light to kill cancer cells during surgery. A drug that makes cancer cells more sensitive to light is injected into the patient’s vein several days before surgery. During surgery, a special light is used to locate the cancer. This treatment is being studied for early stages of malignant mesothelioma.
Immunotherapy
This type of treatment harnesses the power of the body’s own immune system. Immunotherapy is currently being researched as a treatment for malignant mesothelioma.
Gene Therapy
In studies of gene therapy for cancer, the goal is to improve the body’s natural ability to fight malignant mesothelioma directly or to make the cancer cells more sensitive to other kinds of therapy.
Brachytherapy
Brachytherapy is radiation therapy applied from within the body as opposed to from a machine outside the body. Radioactive sources are placed in or near the tumor, giving a high radiation dose to the tumor while reducing the radiation exposure in surrounding healthy tissues. This precision can help to minimize side effects.
Clinical Trials
A clinical trial (also clinical research) is a research study using human volunteers to answer specific health questions. Carefully conducted clinical trials help discover treatments that work in people and ways to improve health. Interventional trials determine whether experimental treatments or new ways of using known therapies are safe and effective under controlled environments. Observational trials address health issues in large groups of people or populations in natural settings. If you are interested in participating in a clinical trial, talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial may be an appropriate option in your case.
Phase I
Phase I trials are considered the first step in testing the safety and efficacy of a new drug. Doctors and researchers are trying to determine many things about the drug’s effect on the disease and on the patient. Among the things that researchers are trying to determine are correct dosage, safety profile, and any side effects.
Phase II
At this stage, researchers select a relatively small group of patients to study the specific effects of the pre-determined dosage. Phase II studies also typically focus on a specific type of disease.
Phase III
During Phase III testing, researchers compare the effectiveness of the new, experimental drug against already existing therapies. Usually, patients are randomly assigned to therapeutic groups to cut down on the possibility of human bias. Phase III trials can be large, recruiting patients from across the country.
Supportive Care or Palliative Therapies
Palliative treatments refer to those procedures that relieve symptoms and help make the patient more comfortable. Here are some palliative therapies that may be used to treat mesothelioma.
Pleurodesis
Pleurodesis is a procedure that is sometimes used to control pleural effusion, or the buildup of fluids between the lungs and the lung lining. Pleurodesis causes the space between the lungs and the lung lining to close, reducing the chance for fluid to accumulate. One method of pleurodesis uses thoracoscopy, whereby a small incision, or a few small incisions are made in the skin and a thoracoscope is passed through the incision to get a better look at the pleura. The sclerosing agent is then applied.
Pain Management
Pain management is another way to treat the discomfort associated with mesothelioma. For additional information on pain management.
Pleurodesis
Pleurodesis is a procedure that is sometimes used to control pleural effusion, or the buildup of fluids between the lungs and the lung lining. Pleurodesis causes the space between the lungs and the lung lining to close, reducing the chance for fluid to accumulate. One method of pleurodesis uses thoracoscopy, whereby a small incision, or a few small incisions are made in the skin and a thoracoscope is passed through the incision to get a better look at the pleura. The sclerosing agent is then applied.
Pain Management
Pain management is another way to treat the discomfort associated with mesothelioma. For additional information on pain management.
Radiation
Radiation therapy is an intense X-ray treatment to damage or kill cancer cells. Although not a cure for mesothelioma, radiation therapy nonetheless may be used at different stages of the disease to slow its growth. Radiation is often the main treatment for patients in weak health. Radiation is also used to destroy small clusters of cancer cells that may have been missed in surgery. When used in conjunction with surgery, radiation treatment is referred to as adjuvant radiation.
External Beam Radiation
The form of radiation therapy used most often is external radiation, in which a machine very similar to an X-ray machine directs strong beams of light at the cancerous cells from outside the body, killing the tumor cells underneath.
Internal Radiation (Brachytherapy)
Internal radiation therapy, also called brachytherapy, involves the placement of radiation sources in the body. With mesothelioma patients, the radioactive material is positioned inside the abdomen or the chest.
Treatments
Taxotere, Taxol
Tumors can return after chemotherapy in some cases. Taxotere and Taxol are drugs that are used to help rid the body of cancer cells when cancer recurs following a previous chemotherapy treatment. These drugs inhibit the duplication or reproduction of cancerous cells. They are delivered through intravenous infusion.
Zofran and Anti Nausea Drugs
One of the most common side effects of chemotherapy treatment is nausea. Zofran is a drug used to ease nausea. Others are Emeset, Oncoden and Zofron. These drugs can help to control radiation therapy induced nausea, as well as post-op nausea and other kinds of nausea.
Endostatin
A natural protein shown to inhibit the growth of blood vessels. The administration of Endostatin results in cancerous tumors “starving” due to lack of blood. This drug is still in clinical trials and has not been approved for general prescription, however.
Tumors can return after chemotherapy in some cases. Taxotere and Taxol are drugs that are used to help rid the body of cancer cells when cancer recurs following a previous chemotherapy treatment. These drugs inhibit the duplication or reproduction of cancerous cells. They are delivered through intravenous infusion.
Zofran and Anti Nausea Drugs
One of the most common side effects of chemotherapy treatment is nausea. Zofran is a drug used to ease nausea. Others are Emeset, Oncoden and Zofron. These drugs can help to control radiation therapy induced nausea, as well as post-op nausea and other kinds of nausea.
Endostatin
A natural protein shown to inhibit the growth of blood vessels. The administration of Endostatin results in cancerous tumors “starving” due to lack of blood. This drug is still in clinical trials and has not been approved for general prescription, however.
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