New Developments in Mesothelioma Research and Treatments

Cancer research and development is an ongoing process. In the field of mesothelioma treatment, researchers are focusing on improving traditional treatments as well as developing new techniques to ease the pain of patients. New chemotherapy agents and combination's are now giving new hope to mesothelioma patients and are increasing the survival rate amongst them. Several recent advances have improved diagnosis and treatment of this incurable disease. Hoping for a cure in the near future is therefore not something surreal.

CT Scans

Computer tomography scans are not only a diagnostic tool in mesothelioma treatment. CT Scans now enable the surgical team to accurately determine the position of tumors in the anatomy of the patient. This enables cytoreduction to be more effective. Adequate cytoreduction is an essential prerequisite to improving the survival chances of the patient. The greater the number of tumor cells that are removed, the less is the chances that the cancer grows and propagates.

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)

Photodynamic Therapy is one of the latest mesothelioma treatments being researched. PDT makes use of a photosensitizer. This is a drug that produces active oxygen when exposed to a certain wavelength of light. Active oxygen destroys all nearby cells. When the patient is treated with the photosensitizer (e.g. with porfimer sodium), the drug invades the whole body. However, by the very nature of the molecule, it remains attached to cancer cells for a longer period. Hence, after a period of 24-72 hours, when the agent has been removed from the normal cells, the tumor is exposed to light (usually a laser transmitted to the tissue by a fiber optic cable carried by an endoscope). Active oxygen destroys the tumor cells directly with minimal damage to normal cells. PDT also helps to shrink tumors indirectly by destroying the blood vessels that supply tumors and activating the immune system to fight the tumor.

The advantage of PDT is that it can be used repetitively with much less side effects than other treatments. The main drawback is that the light usually cannot reach tumor cells that are more than 1 cm deep. Hence, PDT is most effective in skin cancers and cancers found in the lining of internal organs or cavities. Fortunately, mesothelioma falls in this category.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors

Angiogenesis refers to the development of new blood vessels. Blood vessels are a critical factor in the growth of tumors. All malignant tumors develop their own vascular system that carries nutrients from the bloodstream to the tumor, fuelling its growth. Controlling the development of these vascular systems has been an important strategy in the fight against mesothelioma cancer. Angiogenesis inhibitors are drugs that block angiogenesis. This cuts off the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the tumor whose growth immediately halts.

The advantage of angiogenesis inhibitors is that they are not as toxic as most other chemotherapy drugs. They can thus be given continuously to the patient and are thus more effective in fighting the cancer. An example of an anti-angiogenesis drug under clinical trial for mesothelioma is bevacizumab (Avastin).

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Mesothelioma Cancer Remission And Cell Research

The search for a cure to mesothelioma, the incurable asbestos-related cancer, continues as recently released figures show 2,000 diagnosed cases are recorded annually in the UK, and the number of deaths rose to 66.4 per million people between 2006 and 2008.

The long latency period of between 15 to 50 years before the first signs of mesothelioma or asbestosis symptoms emerge has often been a decisive factor in trying to detect the disease at an early stage in a bid to improve survival rates. In addition, asbestosis treatments involving new research into genetic / cellular behaviour and drug therapy combinations have shown promising results.

Remission has been achieved in some instances, either spontaneously or through the adoption of specialised treatment procedures. While complete remission and the disappearance of all evidence of mesothelioma cancer is rare, long-term mesothelioma survivors may be considered to be in partial remission when they are able to survive for several years after diagnosis, despite the presence of the cancer tumours.

While a surgery procedure is the most likely method, which can lead to prolonging remission, partial or complete remission has also been obtained from other therapies, including systemic chemotherapy, immunotherapy and oxygen therapy. In addition, the sustained application of palliative treatments, which involve significant dietary changes by adopting a vegetarian diet plus nutritional supplements.

Recent research suggests that the nuclei of mesothelioma cells could contain vital clues for predicting patient survival, rather than a prognosis based on the prescribed stage and severity the mesothelioma has reached. Analysis of the nuclei of cell samples was taken from a study group of over 230 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

An evaluation was then made by classification of seven determining features, including variation in appearance, pattern of DNA and proteins, extra proteins, components of the nucleus and abnormal division of the chromosomes.

Analysis of each cell sample revealed that the variation in appearance and the number of dividing cells were directly related to patient prognosis. A three-tier nuclear grade score was created from the observations. The average patient survival for Grade I - 28 months, Grade II - 14 months, and Grade III - 5 months.

The researchers concluded, "Not only was nuclear grade an independent predictor of overall survival, but it was also a stronger discriminator of survival than all currently available factors,". In addition, the nuclear grading system also proved a useful indicator when predicting time to mesothelioma recurrence in patients who underwent complete surgical resection.

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Alternative Mesothelioma Spray Treatment Research

The surgical procedures for asbestosis treatments or mesothelioma are often considerably arduous, especially if the patient is elderly and a diagnosis is made when the disease is likely to have reached an advanced stage and spread to other tissue areas of the body.

News that a possible alternative to invasive surgery may now be possible, comes from latest research being conducted at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

It is because a long latency period of between 15 and 50 years can elapse from first exposure to asbestos until signs of a suspected mesothelioma or asbestosis symptoms appear that often multiple and very aggressive surgery is attempted to remove the widespread cancerous tumours.

The use of specialised treatment procedures can mean remission may sometimes be achieved, although complete remission and the disappearance of all evidence of mesothelioma cancer is rare.

Traditionally, the first procedure would involve diagnostic surgery to assess the stage and severity to which the mesothelioma cancer has advanced. Further potentially curative surgery is possible if performed at an early stage, and the patient is sufficiently capable to withstand intense surgery followed by a long and demanding rehabilitation process.

A new system has been in development at the University of Strathclyde, which could mean that patients suffering from mesothelioma and lung cancer " could receive safer and more efficient treatment". Medications can be now be delivered through a nebuliser, allowing patients to inhale drug treatments in the form of a mist inhaled into the lungs rather than intravenously.

Commonly applied in the medical treatment of cystic fibrosis, asthma, COPD and other respiratory diseases, nebulisers use oxygen, compressed air or ultrasonic power to break up medical solutions/suspensions into small aerosol droplets, which can be directly inhaled from a mouthpiece.

The research hopes that by using cisplatin, one of the most widely used drugs for treating mesothelioma, in a vaporised form, cancerous cells could be more easily targeted and damage to healthy cells would be avoided. As a result, treatment would be less of a debilitating experience for patients and may also increase their survival rate.

The survival rate for the incurable mesothelioma cancer can be between 4 to 12 months. In recent years, medical advances plus combined surgical, radiotherapy and palliative procedures have helped to increase individual patient survival by up to 18 months, and sometimes two years or more. In 2009, alone, over 4,000 deaths occurred which were attributed to mesothelioma and lung cancer.

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