Mesothelioma Cure - There is no cure for mesothelioma. Most patients do not survive longer than two years after diagnosis because cancer is usually not detected until it reaches an advanced stage and spread aggressively. But new diagnostic and treatment technologies improve the prognosis.

Although drugs for mesothelioma are currently absent, many patients choose to undergo treatment to fight cancer. Patients may also want to participate in clinical trials conducted to test ongoing treatments and treatments before they are released and recommended for general use. Clinical trials are very important in finding mesothelioma drugs. The knowledge gained from the results of the study greatly helps medical professionals get closer to the discovery of drugs for mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Cure

Certain doctors have actively pursued better mesothelioma treatment options for patients and have been instrumental in healing efforts. Utilizing a multi-modal approach, has made a major step in the treatment of mesothelioma and has increased survival rates for mesothelioma patients.

Learning that healing does not exist can make mesothelioma patients and their loved ones disappointed, but stories about survivors continue to surface, instilling hope in those who have cancer.

Mesothelioma Cure


Current Treatment for Mesothelioma Research Fuels

Chemotherapy, radiation and surgery remain the traditional and best treatment for mesothelioma. Researchers increase their efficacy and look for new ways to do this therapy.

As a result, surgery is more appropriate, therapy is more appropriate, and chemotherapy and radiation are more effective.

Here are some examples of how researchers refined this treatment:

  • Chemotherapy: The most effective chemotherapy treatment combines FDA-approved drugs with pemetrexed and cisplatin. Researchers now see the possibility of adding bevacizumab (Avastin) to the combination. The hope is that all three drugs will delay the spread of cancer and increase overall survival rates. 
  • Surgery: Extrapleural pneumonectomy, pleurectomy / decortication and cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC are major mesothelioma surgery. Researchers are evaluating if adding heated chemotherapy or cryotherapy to certain surgical procedures will increase overall effectiveness. 
  • Multimodal: A multimodal therapeutic approach that combines surgery with chemotherapy and radiation has proven effective in early stage patients. Even patients who are not candidates for surgery have found a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy that can work for them.


Emerging Treatments for Mesothelioma

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is considered one of the greatest medical advancements for the mesothelioma community. It is sparking optimism with promising results in multiple clinical trials around the world. Researchers are focused on the potential benefits of using patients' own immune systems to combat mesothelioma.

This is the drug responsible for saving former President Jimmy Carter from melanoma cancer in 2015. It is one of the most well known immunotherapy drugs. The drug continues to show groundbreaking effectiveness in mesothelioma clinical trial participants.

Gene therapy

Scientists continue to study the possibility of manipulating patient genes to treat or prevent certain diseases. The goal of gene therapy is to directly correct problems caused by damaged genes.

One type of gene therapy, known as suicide gene therapy, modifies cancer cells genetically to enter genes that kill cells.

Another type of gene therapy targets the p53 gene, a gene that helps the immune system find and kill cancer cells.
For pleural mesothelioma patients, gene therapy is feasible. Doctors can easily reach the pleural membrane to deliver genes, conduct biopsies and monitor treatment results.

While gene therapy does not currently offer a permanent cure for mesothelioma, it has shown promise in clinical trials.



Breakthroughs in Clinical Trials Bring Us Closer to a Cure

Researchers are tirelessly looking for new therapies because traditional treatment options don’t work well for mesothelioma.

Currently, the process for introducing a new asbestos cancer medication typically takes 12 to 15 years. To ensure patient safety, adequate time must be spent in each stage of the development process. This is where clinical trials come in.

Preliminary research for clinical trials test new drugs on samples of mesothelioma tumors, rather than on patients directly, thanks to the National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank.

It takes nearly seven years for a new medication to make it to the first phase of a clinical trial. From there, the medication goes through four phases of clinical testing before becoming available for all patients.

Clinical trials help researchers improve their understanding of mesothelioma and find new ways to fight disease. After certain drugs or treatments show success and safety in laboratory settings, this can be studied in clinical trials.

Recent clinical trials have greatly enhanced our ability to treat mesothelioma. One new therapy being studied is photodynamic therapy, which uses light to kill cancer cells. Another new therapy is epigenetic therapy, which reverses genetic damage that contributes to the development of cancer.

Most of the mesothelioma research in the US takes place at universities, cancer centers, research centers and hospitals such as:

Here are some examples of how researchers refined this treatment:
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Shukla Reserch Lab at the University of Vermont
  • Harvard Medical School Partnership with Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • Vaccination and Immunotherapy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital


Obstacles to Medication for Mesothelioma

Thanks to the researchers, the future looks much brighter for people diagnosed with mesothelioma. But there are still some obstacles that we must go through on the road to healing.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer. Unlike more common lung, colon and breast cancers, there is little awareness and different research dollars. Federal funds for government research on mesothelioma are significantly lower compared to other cancers.

The biggest problem with a lack of awareness of mesothelioma is that doctors do not get the opportunity to treat many patients in the early stages of cancer. The dangerous nature of this disease is a symptom that may not be painful or even seen by the patient during the initial stages. Symptoms often reflect less serious health problems, slowing the diagnosis while the disease spreads.

If a patient is not diagnosed until stage 3 or 4 of cancer progression, treatment options are much more limited. This can disqualify patients from certain treatments, such as surgery, and it can make it difficult for patients to participate in clinical trials.

"Real profits will be made from previous discoveries," said Harvey Pass, MD, a surgeon and long-term leader in the advancement of mesothelioma. "Treatment will work better. That can be very important in turning this into a chronic disease. "


Closer to Cure than before

Finding absolute mesothelioma medication is still possible for many more years, but finding ways to control mesothelioma has occurred.

The six-month-to-life prognosis is no longer the norm at specialist centers with experience in treating this rare disease. Patients diagnosed early on live far longer today. It's no longer unusual to find mesothelioma victims five or ten years. There is hope.

Mesothelioma Cure

Mesothelioma Cure - There is no cure for mesothelioma. Most patients do not survive longer than two years after diagnosis because cancer is usually not detected until it reaches an advanced stage and spread aggressively. But new diagnostic and treatment technologies improve the prognosis.

Although drugs for mesothelioma are currently absent, many patients choose to undergo treatment to fight cancer. Patients may also want to participate in clinical trials conducted to test ongoing treatments and treatments before they are released and recommended for general use. Clinical trials are very important in finding mesothelioma drugs. The knowledge gained from the results of the study greatly helps medical professionals get closer to the discovery of drugs for mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Cure

Certain doctors have actively pursued better mesothelioma treatment options for patients and have been instrumental in healing efforts. Utilizing a multi-modal approach, has made a major step in the treatment of mesothelioma and has increased survival rates for mesothelioma patients.

Learning that healing does not exist can make mesothelioma patients and their loved ones disappointed, but stories about survivors continue to surface, instilling hope in those who have cancer.

Mesothelioma Cure


Current Treatment for Mesothelioma Research Fuels

Chemotherapy, radiation and surgery remain the traditional and best treatment for mesothelioma. Researchers increase their efficacy and look for new ways to do this therapy.

As a result, surgery is more appropriate, therapy is more appropriate, and chemotherapy and radiation are more effective.

Here are some examples of how researchers refined this treatment:

  • Chemotherapy: The most effective chemotherapy treatment combines FDA-approved drugs with pemetrexed and cisplatin. Researchers now see the possibility of adding bevacizumab (Avastin) to the combination. The hope is that all three drugs will delay the spread of cancer and increase overall survival rates. 
  • Surgery: Extrapleural pneumonectomy, pleurectomy / decortication and cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC are major mesothelioma surgery. Researchers are evaluating if adding heated chemotherapy or cryotherapy to certain surgical procedures will increase overall effectiveness. 
  • Multimodal: A multimodal therapeutic approach that combines surgery with chemotherapy and radiation has proven effective in early stage patients. Even patients who are not candidates for surgery have found a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy that can work for them.


Emerging Treatments for Mesothelioma

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is considered one of the greatest medical advancements for the mesothelioma community. It is sparking optimism with promising results in multiple clinical trials around the world. Researchers are focused on the potential benefits of using patients' own immune systems to combat mesothelioma.

This is the drug responsible for saving former President Jimmy Carter from melanoma cancer in 2015. It is one of the most well known immunotherapy drugs. The drug continues to show groundbreaking effectiveness in mesothelioma clinical trial participants.

Gene therapy

Scientists continue to study the possibility of manipulating patient genes to treat or prevent certain diseases. The goal of gene therapy is to directly correct problems caused by damaged genes.

One type of gene therapy, known as suicide gene therapy, modifies cancer cells genetically to enter genes that kill cells.

Another type of gene therapy targets the p53 gene, a gene that helps the immune system find and kill cancer cells.
For pleural mesothelioma patients, gene therapy is feasible. Doctors can easily reach the pleural membrane to deliver genes, conduct biopsies and monitor treatment results.

While gene therapy does not currently offer a permanent cure for mesothelioma, it has shown promise in clinical trials.



Breakthroughs in Clinical Trials Bring Us Closer to a Cure

Researchers are tirelessly looking for new therapies because traditional treatment options don’t work well for mesothelioma.

Currently, the process for introducing a new asbestos cancer medication typically takes 12 to 15 years. To ensure patient safety, adequate time must be spent in each stage of the development process. This is where clinical trials come in.

Preliminary research for clinical trials test new drugs on samples of mesothelioma tumors, rather than on patients directly, thanks to the National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank.

It takes nearly seven years for a new medication to make it to the first phase of a clinical trial. From there, the medication goes through four phases of clinical testing before becoming available for all patients.

Clinical trials help researchers improve their understanding of mesothelioma and find new ways to fight disease. After certain drugs or treatments show success and safety in laboratory settings, this can be studied in clinical trials.

Recent clinical trials have greatly enhanced our ability to treat mesothelioma. One new therapy being studied is photodynamic therapy, which uses light to kill cancer cells. Another new therapy is epigenetic therapy, which reverses genetic damage that contributes to the development of cancer.

Most of the mesothelioma research in the US takes place at universities, cancer centers, research centers and hospitals such as:

Here are some examples of how researchers refined this treatment:
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Shukla Reserch Lab at the University of Vermont
  • Harvard Medical School Partnership with Brigham and Women's Hospital
  • Vaccination and Immunotherapy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital


Obstacles to Medication for Mesothelioma

Thanks to the researchers, the future looks much brighter for people diagnosed with mesothelioma. But there are still some obstacles that we must go through on the road to healing.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer. Unlike more common lung, colon and breast cancers, there is little awareness and different research dollars. Federal funds for government research on mesothelioma are significantly lower compared to other cancers.

The biggest problem with a lack of awareness of mesothelioma is that doctors do not get the opportunity to treat many patients in the early stages of cancer. The dangerous nature of this disease is a symptom that may not be painful or even seen by the patient during the initial stages. Symptoms often reflect less serious health problems, slowing the diagnosis while the disease spreads.

If a patient is not diagnosed until stage 3 or 4 of cancer progression, treatment options are much more limited. This can disqualify patients from certain treatments, such as surgery, and it can make it difficult for patients to participate in clinical trials.

"Real profits will be made from previous discoveries," said Harvey Pass, MD, a surgeon and long-term leader in the advancement of mesothelioma. "Treatment will work better. That can be very important in turning this into a chronic disease. "


Closer to Cure than before

Finding absolute mesothelioma medication is still possible for many more years, but finding ways to control mesothelioma has occurred.

The six-month-to-life prognosis is no longer the norm at specialist centers with experience in treating this rare disease. Patients diagnosed early on live far longer today. It's no longer unusual to find mesothelioma victims five or ten years. There is hope.