I read two articles that I wanted to share about mesothelioma. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer that develops in the tissue that covers the lungs and lines the interior of the chest. It is often caused by chronic exposure to asbestos. Patients with this disease have a decreased quality of life due to symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, pain, fatigue, and the inability to eat. One of the scariest parts about this disease is that it can be resistant to most therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
A press release from Alfacell Corporation says that the addition of a drug called Onconase (ranpirnase) to Adriamycin improves survival over Adriamycin alone in patients that have operable mesothelioma. Onconase targets cancer cells while sparing healthy cells. It is taken into the cancerous cell where it kills the cell through various processes. Onconase is not yet proved by the FDA in the United States.
A clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the addition of Onconase to Adriamycin compared to Adriamycin alone. The trial included a total of 143 patients. At one year 47 percent of patients treated with Onconase/Adriamycin were alive compared to 36 percent of patients treated with Adriamycin alone.
The researchers feel that the drug improves outcomes when given with Adriamycin. This trial was a Phase IIIb trial which means it could be up for FDA approval in the near future.
The second article that I read was recently published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology. According to the article treatment with Alimta (pemetrixed) with or without Platinol (cisplatin) provides benefit with malignant mesothelioma who have received prior treatment therapies.
This research was focused on recurrent mesothelioma. Optimal treatment strategies that will improve long-term outcomes for patients with recurrent mesothelioma continue to be evaluated. A Phase III trial was conducted to evaluate treatment including Alimta or Alimta/cisplatin. The trial included 187 patients.
Anticancer responses were achieved in 32.5 percent of patients treated with Alimta/cisplatin compared with 5.5 percent for patients treated with Alimta alone.
The researchers conclude that this is a challenging disease. I bring this information in hopes that anyone diagnosed with is disease can have some information to bring to their physicians to discuss further.
1. I want to thank you for publishing information about this deadly form of cancer. I have been reading the cancer blog for the year since my dad was diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma and has been fighting his battle along with the wonderful doctors and staff at NYU Cancer Clinic. My dad contracted the disease when he was 16 years old and had left high school to work at the Brooklyn Navy Yard to help out the family. He then joined the Navy, forging his parents' signature to fight for his country in WWII. Little did he know that the powder coming out of the pipes he slept under and the substances he came in contact with every day would shorten his life some 50 years later.
Mesothelioma is an "orphan" disease in the cancer world and perhaps is only getting more attention now as more individuals unfortunately become aware that they are afflicted with this illness. Even after symptoms appear 30, 40, or 50 years after exposure to asbestos, diagnoses are not easily made. When finally made, it is often too late for surgery (perhaps the best option for treament) and maybe even chemotherapy. Our family has been fortunate. We were able to find physicians familiar with this disease and a cancer center on top of the protocols. My father has had the "gold standard" chemo treatment and saw a stabalization of his cancer for almost a year. We are now onto a new stage of our challenge. I just wanted to thank you for mentioning meso and please provide as much information as you can. There is a wonderful organization for those who need a place to turn. MARF - The Mesothelioma Awareness and Research Foundation.
Posted at 11:51PM on Mar 20th 2007 by Stacey