Category Archives: Experimental Treatments

Experimental Treatments,gene therapy,immunotherapy,Photodynamic Therapy and so on

Experimental Treatments

The mesothelioma radiation target is to cure the mesothelioma

February 20, 2012 – 6:36 am

An experimental type of radiation could directly target mesothelioma tumors while limiting the damage to nearby tissue. In a recent study, Italian doctors found that proton-based mesothelioma radiation mesothelioma delivered higher doses to tumors while sparing nearby organs. Mesothelioma is a tricky cancer to treat because it originates so closely to organs such as the heart. Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure. The cancer originates in the lungs, the abdomen and the heart. There is no cure. But scientists continue testing methods to help patients live comfortably with the disease.

Conventional electron-based radiology comes with risky side effects. The highly charged ion particles destroy both the tumor and the healthy tissue around it.The doctors said that proton-based therapy can be more effective in shrinking tumors because the ions are highly charged but diminish more rapidly than electron particles. When combined with intensity-modulation technology, which can shape the beam to mirror the tumor, proton radiotherapy can be made more effective. The study monitored seven mesothelioma patients who received proton radiotherapy. The doctors observed both types of radiotherapy and calculated that proton therapy does less damage to the nearby tissue while it delivered equal doses to the tumors.

mesothelioma radiation

mesothelioma radiation

Swiss researchers were the first to test proton radiotherapy in mesothelioma patients in 2010. In that study, mesothelioma patients received proton radiotherapy after surgery. That study revealed similar results to the Italian study. While the results are encouraging, mesothelioma patients may find this type of treatment hard to come by. It’s still rare and very expensive. Like any clinical trial, mesothelioma patients should be aware that they may not be eligible to participate. Travel, costs and the stage of the cancer can limit a patient’s access to the trial. It’s also important to contact health insurance providers to determine whether some of the costs can be deferred.

Nearly 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year in the United States. Thousands more get the disease worldwide but accurate numbers are difficult to come by. The numbers are on the rise in developing countries like India because of the increased use of asbestos.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been banned in more than 40 countries except the United States and India. Asbestos is widely used as an insulator in building materials because of its ability to resist heat, water and corrosion.

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Experimental Treatments

The experimental treatments – Pathophysiology of mesothelioma

January 31, 2012 – 3:45 am

The pathophysiology of mesothelioma indicates a deposit of asbestos fibers in the parenchyma of the lungs where they have been carried to the pleural surface through penetration of the visceral pleura. There the fibers resulted in the development of mesothelial plaques. It is hypothesized that that the fibers can be transported from the lungs by the lymphatic system to other organs causing peritoneal Mesothelioma to develop. Asbestos fibers may be deposited in the stomach and intestines from swallowing of the fibers.

It has been shown that asbestos fibers induce carcinogenesis. Inodulated phosphorylated chrysotile fibers have induced malignant Mesothelioma development in rats. Fibers in the pleura and peritoneal cavities of rats show the attraction of significant numbers microphages of the immune system to the resulting legions and eventual morphation of the legions to malignant tumors. In humans the fibers need to move to the pleura in order for pathogenesis of malignant Mesothelioma.

It is suspected that asbestos fibers act as a carcinogen transforming normal mesothelioma cells into malignant cells. The interaction of the fibers with the mesothelial cells and with inflammatory cells such as macrophages result in the carcinogenic effects of the fibers.

Longer asbestos fibers have been associated in a higher incidence of Mesothelioma in studies with mice. Experiments have shown that longer fibers are able to penetrate DNA and adhere to chromosomes creating complex abnormalities in the DNA. Other experiments have shown that asbestos fibers have immunosupressive characteristics.

Experimental evidence suggests that asbestos acts as a complete carcinogen with the development of mesothelioma occurring in sequential stages of initiation and promotion. The molecular mechanisms underlying the malignant transformation of normal mesothelial cells by asbestos fibers remain unclear despite the demonstration of its oncogenic capabilities. However, complete in vitro transformation of normal human mesothelial cells to malignant phenotype following exposure to asbestos fibers has not yet been achieved. In general, asbestos fibers are thought to act through direct physical interactions with the cells of the mesothelium in conjunction with indirect effects following interaction with inflammatory cells such as macrophages.

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Experimental Treatments

The available options – Chemotherapy mesothelioma

January 13, 2012 – 5:32 am

One of the few options available for doctors to treat mesothelioma is with drugs in the form of chemotherapy.

1. What is chemotherapy mesothelioma?
Chemotherapy involves one or more anti-cancer drugs taken either in pill form, intravenously, or, in the case of pleural mesothelioma, injected directly into the lungs. These drugs disrupt the growth of cancerous cells, but they also damage normal healthy cells as well. Fortunately, the damage is often repaired quickly, but unfortunately not without significant discomfort.

2. What are the side effects of chemotherapy mesothelioma?
Chemotherapy is widely known to cause severe side effects in virtually every patient, with common signs such as:
• hair loss
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• constipation
• anemia
• hemorrhaging

Chemotherapy also causes many complicated side effects within the cancerous growth. It is not uncommon in mesothelioma cases to have secondary neoplasms, which are cancerous offshoots of the original tumor that have redirected their growth due to the introduction of anti-cancer drugs.

chemotherapy mesothelioma

chemotherapy mesothelioma

3. What are the other risks of chemotherapy?

Furthermore, chemotherapy often increases the chances of toxic reactions by the blood, liver, and kidneys, contributing to the potential fatal nature of chemotherapy treatment. Because chemotherapy suppresses the immune system by decreasing antibodies in the bloodstream, any sort of illness or infection can pose significant risks to patients undergoing drug therapy. Other complications are mouth sores which, in combination with the overwhelming nausea and intestinal discomfort caused by chemotherapy, results in many patients failing to eat a healthy diet.

4. Does chemotherapy work well on mesothelioma?
Studies have shown that chemotherapy is not particularly effective in treating mesothelioma because the cancer eludes detection for so long that the side effects of chemo outweigh the pain inflicted by the disease. Early diagnosis is critical for adequate treatment of mesothelioma, but no regimen of drugs and therapy will cure it. Fortunately, scientific advances in drug therapy provide fresh hope for mesothelioma victims throughout the country and around the world.

5. What can you do if you have mesothelioma and chemotherapy has not worked?

If you suffer from mesothelioma and chemotherapy has failed you, then you should consult with an attorney experienced in handling asbestos-related litigation. You have a right to pursue legal action to seek justice from those who wronged you. Don’t delay, for the laws in your state limit the amount of time you have to collect damages, and these statutes of limitations can end your case before it can begin. Contact a lawyer today.

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