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Alimta (Pemetrexed) Mesothelioma Treatment
Monday, July 13, 2009The FDA agreed to allow patients use of Alimta under the "expanded access program" based on the initial results from clinical trials. The results of a Phase III trial discussed at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, showed that patients treated with Alimta and cisplatin had better survival rates, had less pain and shortness of breath. Pemetrexed (Alimta) is a new antifolate, a type of drug that targets the folic acid metabolic pathway, inhibiting the availability of certain B complex vitamins. The downside, in the trial was that in some patients there was decrease in the number of white blood cells used to fight infections.
Posted by Lilian at 5:09 PM 0 comments
Labels: mesothelioma treatment options
Innovative Treatments For Mesothelioma Patients
Aside from the standard or traditional treatment options for mesothelioma patients, the following are the innovative treatment options that can be applied accordingly to the patient:
Photodynamic therapy (PDT), a type of cancer treatment, is premised in the theory that single-celled organisms, if first treated with certain photosensitive drugs, will die when exposed to light at a particular frequency. Through PDT, doctors attempt to destroy cancerous cells through the use of fixed frequency light to activate photosensitizing drugs that have accumulated in body tissues.
In PDT, a doctor administers photosensitizing drug intravenously. In a matter of days, the drug selectively concentrates in diseased cells, while rapidly being eliminated from normal cells. Doctors then expose the treated cancer cells to a laser light chosen for its ability to activate the photosensitizing agent. Doctors deliver this laser light to the cancer site, (in the case of mesothelioma, the pleura), through a fiberoptic device that allows the doctor to control the laser light. As the agent in the treated cells absorbs the light, an active form of oxygen destroys the surrounding cancer cells. A doctor must carefully time the light exposure so that it occurs when most of the photosensitizing drug has left the healthy cells, but remains present in cancerous ones.
Skin sensitivity is the major side effect of PDT. Doctors usually advise patients undergoing this type of therapy to avoid direct and even indirect sunlight for at least six weeks. Other side effects may include nausea, vomiting, a metallic taste in the mouth, and eye sensitivity to light.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is designed to repair, stimulate, or enhance the immune system's natural anticancer function. Through immunotherapy, sometimes called biological therapy, doctors use the body's own immune system to protect against disease. Researchers have found that the immune system may recognize the difference between healthy cells and cancer cells, and eliminate those that become cancerous.
Gene therapy treats mesothelioma, and other diseases, by manipulating an individual's genes to achieve a therapeutic goal. The premise of gene therapy is based on correcting disease at the DNA level and compensating for the abnormal genes.
Complementary and alternative medicine covers a wide range of treatments that conventional medicine does not commonly accept or make available to its patients. Acupuncture, herbs, homeopathy, therapeutic massage, and Far Eastern medicine are among those treatments considered alternative.
Posted by Lilian at 5:07 PM 0 comments
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Mesothelioma Updates : New Technology To Detect Asbestos-Related Lung Disease
Michael Harbut, M.D., MPH, co-director of the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers (NCVAC) at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, MI, and chief of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine Wayne State University, announced the use of a new technology to aid in the diagnosis of asbestos-related lung disease. The announcement was made at the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organizations annual conference, Saturday, March 28, in Manhattan Beach, CA.
"Radiographic approaches developed by Carmen Endress, M.D., FACR, Associate Professor of Radiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine and radiologist at the NCVAC, allow us to visualize lesions caused by asbestos exposure in three dimensional detail and often at a much earlier stage than that of the current standard radiographic techniques," said Harbut.This new approach involves taking images obtained on the 64-slice high resolution CT scan and enhancing them using the Vitrea imaging software program developed by Vital Images, Inc.
Harbut explained, "The benefits of this new approach include the possibility of earlier detection; better differentiation between patients with scarring on the lungs and other diseases; assistance in determining why some people who have thickening on the covering of the lungs have uncontrolled, unrelenting pain; and potentially increased success in the overall diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related disease.
According to Harbut, this approach could also have a significant public-health impact.
If we can identify the sentinel or first cases of asbestosis or lung cancer at an early stage, then we can help identify asbestos exposures in places where it might not have previously been suspected. Such identification of early detection could help to reduce the death rate from asbestos-related diseases."
The use of this technology in the diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related cancers and high-malignancy potential asbestos-related diseases represents another first for Karmanos Cancer Institute scientists and physicians. Previously, NCVAC researchers were among the first to discover the value of osteopontin a tumor marker of mesothelioma and published this finding in the New England Journal of Medicine. Karmanos workers have also reported the potential value of soluble mesothelin-related peptide, another tumor marker, in screening for mesothelioma.
Michael Harbut, M.D., MPH, Chief of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, is co-director of the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, in Detroit, MI. In response to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) identification of major sources of public asbestos exposure in Michigan, and to address the need for early diagnosis and aggressive treatment of asbestos-related diseases, the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute and the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine (COEM) affiliated with Wayne State University, joined forces to establish The National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers (NCVAC). COEM has had a long interest in asbestos-related diseases and the Karmanos Cancer Institute is heavily involved in both clinical and basic research on asbestos-related cancers enabling the two centers to rapidly bring together the expertise and resources necessary to study the problem immediately.
Posted by Lilian at 11:00 AM 5 comments
Labels: asbestos-related lung disease, mesothelioma, mesothelioma diagnosis
Scientific And Medical Facts About Chrysotile Asbestos Will Be Presented To US Congress
Posted by Lilian at 10:21 AM 0 comments
Labels: asbestos-related lung disease, mesothelioma, mesothelioma updates
Mesothelioma Treatment Centers In USA
Alabama
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Delaware
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Illinois
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Ohio
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Pennsylvania
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Tennessee
Texas
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Vermont
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Washington
Washington DC
West Virginia
Wisconsin
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Posted by Lilian at 10:13 AM 2 comments
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Learn Mesothelioma And Its Statistics
From 1965 - 1999 there are already 159,000 recorded deaths due to asbestos exposure and it's increasing each year. This number represents approximately 4,000 deaths per year. Starting in 1965, the number of deaths increases by 400-500 a year and by the mid-1900s it is approximately 9,700 deaths per year.
Asbestos-related diseases are typically diagnosed 15 to 40 years after initial exposure to asbestos. In the 1960s, there was a spike in the number of asbestos- related diseases reported by shipyard workers who had worked in close contact with asbestos during WWII.
The definitive 1982 epidemiological study projected that between 1999 and 2030 there would be approximately 166,000 additional asbestos-related deaths.
Annual Projected Deaths From Asbestos-Related Lung Cancer (selected industries**)
Year | 1972 | 1982 | 1992 | 2002 | 2012 | 2022 | 2027 |
Total | 3,286 | 5,055 | 5,497 | 4,693 | 2,987 | 1,254 | 646 |
Year | 1972 | 1982 | 1992 | 2002 | 2012 | 2022 | 2027 |
Total | 1,034 | 1,376 | 1,494 | 1,274 | 812 | 340 | 176 |
Annual Projected Deaths From Asbestos-Related Mesothelioma (selected industries)
Year | 1972 | 1982 | 1992 | 2002 | 2012 | 2022 | 2027 |
Total | 1,082 | 1,775 | 2,748 | 3,060 | 2,661 | 1,495 | 917 |
**Primary asbestos manufacturing, secondary manufacturing, insulation work, shipbuilding and repair, construction trades, railroad engine repair, utility services, stationary engineers and firemen, chemical plant and refinery maintenance, automobile maintenance, and marine engine room personnel.
Note : The above was provided by the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, 1999
Posted by Lilian at 9:58 AM 0 comments
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What Are The Stages Of Mesothelioma?
Butchart System ( the oldest staging system and the one that mainly considers the extent of primary tumor mass and divides mesothelioma into four stages)
Stage I consists of the presence of mesothelioma in the lining of the right or left lung and may also involve the diaphragm on the same side. Stage II includes the invasion of mesothelioma into the chest wall or esophagus, hear, or lung lining on bother sides. In addition, lymph nodes in the chest may also be involved. The onset of Stage III begins when the mesothelioma penetrates through the diaphragm into the lining of the abdominal cavity or peritoneum. In this stage the cancer may also affect lymph nodes beyond those in the chest. Doctors identify Stage IV, the final stage, when evidence of metastasis or the spread of cancer to other organs exists.
TNM System (considers tumor in mass and spread, lymph node involvement, and metastasis)
Stage I involves the lining of the right or left lung, pericardium, or diaphragm on the same side. At this stage, lymph nodes are not involved. Stage II begins when mesothelioma spreads from the lining of the lung on one side to a lymph node on the same side. At this stage, the cancer may also spread to the lung, pericardium, or diaphragm on the same side. Stage III begins when mesothelioma exists in the chest wall, muscle, ribs, heart, esophagus, or other organs in the chest on the same side as the primary tumor. In the final stage, Stage IV, the mesothelioma has spread into the lymph nodes in the chest on the side opposite the primary tumor, or extends into the lung opposite the primary tumor, or directly into the organs in the abdominal cavity or neck. Metastasis is included in this stage.
Brigham System (the latest system, stages mesothelioma according to resectability or ability to surgically remove and lymph node involvement)
The Brigham System concerns itself primarily with the resectability or the ability surgically remove the mesothelioma mass. In Stage I the tumor is resectable and lymph nodes are unaffected. In Stage II the tumor remains respectable but the mesothelioma affects the lymph nodes. In Stage III the tumor becomes unresectable and extends into the chest wall, heart, or through the diaphragm, peritoneum. Stage III can occur with or without lymph node involvement. Stage IV occurs when doctors discover metastasic disease of distant organs.
Once doctors identify the stage of a patient's malignant mesothelioma, the patient and doctor can discuss and consider the various treatment options available. The treatment program for mesothelioma depends on many factors, including: the stage of the cancer, the location of the cancer, the spread of the cancer, the characteristics of the cancer cells under a microscope and the patient's age and desires.
Posted by Lilian at 9:30 AM 1 comments
Labels: mesothelioma, mesothelioma overview, stages of mesothelioma
What Are The Treatments Available For Mesothelioma?
Once the doctor has finalized the diagnosis of mesothelioma, treatment can be done accordingly. Treatment is based on the location of the cancer, the stage of the disease, and the patient's age and general health. However, standard treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Sometimes, these treatments are combined.
- Surgery is a common treatment for mesothelioma. The doctor may remove part of the lining of the chest or abdomen and some of the tissue around it. For cancer of the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), a lung may be removed in an operation called a pneumonectomy. Sometimes part of the diaphragm, the muscle below the lungs that helps with breathing, is also removed.
- Radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy, involves the use of high-energy rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy affects the cancer cells only in the treated area. The radiation may come from a machine (external radiation) or from putting materials that produce radiation through thin plastic tubes into the area where the cancer cells are found (internal radiation therapy).
- Chemotherapy is the use of anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Most drugs used to treat mesothelioma are given by injection into a vein (intravenous, or IV). Doctors are also studying the effectiveness of putting chemotherapy directly into the chest or abdomen (intracavitary chemotherapy).
Posted by Lilian at 9:06 AM 0 comments
Labels: mesothelioma, mesothelioma overview, mesothelioma treatment options