Mesothelioma Clinical Trial Tests New Immunotherapy Treatment

An exciting new mesothelioma clinical trial was just announced by the National Cancer Institute. The trial, which starts November 3, 2017 and runs for three years, will test a combination of traditional mesothelioma treatments and mesothelioma immunotherapy. This mesothelioma clinical trial is exciting for two reasons. First, it will test atezolizumab (sold under the brand name Tecentriq), an immunotherapy drug that has been approved for non-small cell lung cancer but is not yet approved for pleural mesothelioma. Second, it will test a different treatment protocol for some common mesothelioma treatments.

This mesothelioma clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03228537)  reflects a tactic that’s becoming increasingly common in mesothelioma treatment. It might be called the “throw everything you’ve got at it” approach. Doctors and researchers are finding that combination treatments extend life expectancy for mesothelioma patients. This study appears designed to find more and better ways to use all the weapons in the cancer treatment arsenal to keep pleural mesothelioma from progressing.

This mesothelioma clinical trial has the potential to pave the way for new and better mesothelioma treatment options. This is welcome news for those who get to participate in the trial and for mesothelioma patients everywhere, who will benefit from the results.

New Mesothelioma Clinical Trial Includes Tecentriq

According to the ClinicalTrials.gov listing, the trial will study “Atezolizumab, Pemetrexed Disodium, Cisplatin, and Surgery With or Without Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage I-III Pleural Malignant Mesothelioma.” There will be no masking, which means that there will be no control group. The trial is to find better treatment options, and all participants will be given the full treatment.


Here is a breakdown of the treatments in this study:
 

• Atezolizumab is an immunotherapy drug marketed under the trade name Tecentriq
• Pemetrexed Disodium (also referred to as pemetrexed and sold under the trade name Alimta) is the most common chemotherapy drug given to mesothelioma patients
• Cisplatin is a platinum chemotherapy drug, which is often given in combination with other chemotherapy treatments, such as pemetrexed
• The surgery in the study will be either an extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) or pleurectomy decortication (P/D), the two most common surgeries for pleural mesothelioma
• Some patients will also receive radiation
  
  Chemotherapy combined with surgery is considered the standard of care for mesothelioma patients. Radiation is a common mesothelioma treatment as well.
  
  

  Multimodal Mesothelioma Treatment

  Doctors have found that mesothelioma patients do much better when they receive at least two types of treatment. This combined approach is called multimodal mesothelioma treatment.
  
  
  The most effective mesothelioma treatment combination is surgery plus chemotherapy. For more advanced patients (Stage IV and sometimes Stage III), surgery is not an option. Some patients may have other ailments that make them too weak to withstand surgery. For these mesothelioma patients, chemotherapy and radiation may provide the best relief.
  
  Increasingly, immunotherapy has become part of multimodal mesothelioma treatment. Immunotherapy is most often used as a second-line treatment. This means that patients are given immunotherapy drugs after more conventional treatments stopped working.
  
  Mesothelioma clinical trial NCT03228537 takes the multimodal approach to a new level, combining all the standard mesothelioma treatments and adding experimental immunotherapy. One of the unusual aspects of this mesothelioma clinical trial is that all three drugs (two chemotherapy drugs and one immunotherapy drug) are given at the same time.
  
  

  Neoadjuvant Treatment

  Mesothelioma chemotherapy and immunotherapy are usually adjuvant treatments. Adjuvant treatments are given after another treatment. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy are usually adjuvant to mesothelioma surgery.
  
  This study turns the normal order on its head, using immunotherapy and chemotherapy before surgery, to reduce the size of the tumor. Pre-treatments like this are called neoadjuvant treatments.
  
  
  The trial will follow up with adjuvant radiation and more Tecentriq immunotherapy after surgery.
  
  

  Mesothelioma Immunotherapy

  There are several immunotherapy drugs on the market. Immunotherapy drug Keytruda has shown promise for mesothelioma patients. Tecentriq is still in the experimental phase for mesothelioma, but patients and researchers have high hopes that it will be an effective treatment for some mesothelioma patients.
  
  Tecentriq is a monoclonal antibody that blocks cancer cells from using a particular mechanism (the PD-L1 pathway) to down-regulate your body’s immune response. It is one of a class of immunotherapy drugs (along with Keytruda) called checkpoint blockers.
  
  

  What Is a Mesothelioma Clinical Trial?

  When a treatment is lab-tested, the next step is a clinical trial using human subjects. Most clinical trials have three or more phases. If the first phase is successful, the research will advance to phase II. If not, the trial may be abandoned. With each new phase, a mesothelioma clinical trial will include a larger group of patients.
  
  Trial NCT03228537 is a phase I pilot. Though several components of this treatment study are known to work well for mesothelioma patients, the protocol is untested, as is the immunotherapy drug Tecentriq. Because this is a phase I mesothelioma clinical trial, the number of participants will be small.
  
  Mesothelioma patients often seek out clinical trials. While you are enrolled, you receive the best possible treatment. Researchers closely monitor your condition, so they can catch changes early. Plus, you have the chance to receive cutting-edge mesothelioma therapy. If a new treatment is successful, it could become the standard of care in the future – and you will be one of the first mesothelioma patients to benefit.
  
  When you enroll in a clinical trial, the researchers hope that you will stay enrolled until the trial is complete. However, you are free to drop out at any time. If the treatment becomes too much for you to tolerate, the physicians overseeing the study will work with you to alleviate any side effects and will stop treatment, if necessary.
  
  

  Am I Eligible for this Mesothelioma Clinical Trial?

  Mesothelioma clinical trial NCT03228537 will study 28 patients. It is based in Portland, Oregon.
  
  
  You must meet certain requirements to participate. Visit the website for a full list. Here are some of the requirements:
  
  
• You must be a Stage I-III pleural mesothelioma patient with no peritoneal spread.
• You must have a resectable (able to be removed through surgery) tumor.
• Your mesothelioma cell type must be epithelioid or biphasic (not sarcomatoid).
• You must not have had mesothelioma immunotherapy or chemotherapy treatment before the study.
• You must meet certain health requirements and undergo specific tests. 
  
  If you are interested in participating in this mesothelioma clinical trial, speak with your physician about whether it’s a good fit for you. If you have questions specific to the trial, you can contact the trial recruiter, Anne S. Tsao, at 713-792-3245.
  
  This is just one of a number of mesothelioma clinical trials in the United States. Let your doctor know, if you are interested in being part of a clinical trial. Visit ClinicalTrials.gov  and watch this website for our launch of clinical trial information to find out about other upcoming studies.
  
  source:  mesotheliomacircle.org

Mesothelioma Research Points to Possible New Treatment

The hope of discovering a new effective mesothelioma treatment is the main reason that our sponsor’s philanthropic foundation funds mesothelioma research at leading universities. Mesothelioma research is complex and intricate with many small steps needed along the way. So it was very exciting when Kazan Law’s foundation received news that research they’d helped fund has made a key step in the path to mesothelioma treatment.

They recently were informed that the Mesothelioma Program at the University of Chicago Medicine co-published results of a successful new experiment in PLOS ONE: a peer-reviewed, open-access online scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science.

In a new experimental mesothelioma treatment approach, instead of just zapping malignant pleural mesothelioma cells, the treatment also targets a genetic cell growth protein that helps these cells proliferate. It is like when you want to get rid of mosquitoes at your house, you not only spray the mosquitoes but you also eliminate any standing water that gives them a place to breed.

The cell growth factor that the research focused on is called MET. It is essential for the healthy development of babies in the womb and for wound healing. But when it gets activated by cancer, it triggers tumor growth, spurs the formation of blood vessels that supply tumors with nutrients and helps cancer spread throughout the body

Using preserved mesothelioma cells and laboratory mice, the researchers found that using a new drug designed to inhibit MET and its helpers in combination with standard mesothelioma treatment medication was effective.

“These results suggest that the combined use of this small molecule inhibitor is far more effective than the use of single drugs in suppressing malignant mesothelioma tumor growth and motility,” the researchers state in their official mesothelioma research report.

In a recent letter to Kazan Law to highlight this and other new University of Chicago mesothelioma research projects, Callie Johnston, director of the medical school’s donation program, said, “These research projects, which study new potential targets for mesothelioma therapy, were both started with seed funding from philanthropic partners, including you.”

“On behalf of the Mesothelioma Program at the University of Chicago Medicine, I want to thank you for your generous partnership,” Johnston said in her letter to Kazan Law. “Thanks to supporters like you, our investigators are advancing mesothelioma research and improving therapeutic and preventative strategies to treat the patients for whom we all care so deeply.”

source: mesotheliomacircle.org

Why Meditation is One of the Best Alternative Mesothelioma Therapies

Trying alternative mesothelioma therapies can seem like a scary science experiment. They can be expensive and outlandish with dubious results. Maybe it’s time to give meditation a try. It’s simple, free and one of the hottest well-being trends right now for everyone, not just cancer patients. But mesothelioma patients may stand to gain more than most by learning this gentle, ancient practice. Reported evidence suggests that mesothelioma patients who practice meditation can improve their quality of life.

What is Meditation?

Meditation, also known as mindfulness, is a mind-body process that uses concentration to relax the body and calm the mind. It has been defined as the intentional self-regulation of attention.

While meditation’s roots are in Buddhism, many people today practice a non-religious form of mindfulness that requires nothing more than sitting quietly and focusing on your breath – and thinking about nothing. It’s not always easy. The mind wanders. But the trick is to rein it back in by refocusing on breathing.

Mediation as an Alternative Therapy for Mesothelioma

Meditation is one of several alternative therapies evaluated and found to be of possible benefit by an independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The panel found that it might be a useful complementary therapy for treating chronic pain and problems such as insomnia. Some cancer treatment centers offer meditation or relaxation therapy with standard medical care. “Scientific evidence does not suggest that meditation is effective in treating cancer or any other disease; however, it may help to improve the quality of life for people with cancer,” the American Cancer Society says. About 25% of mesothelioma patients reportedly meditate to ease their mesothelioma symptoms.

Meditation can be used in combination with other alternative mesothelioma treatments we’ve discussed here at Mesothelioma Circle, including massage, yoga and acupuncture.

Meditation and Cancer – The Back Story

In the 1970s, scientist Jon Kabat-Zinn was introduced to Buddhist meditation as a student earning a PhD in molecular biology at MIT. Intrigued, he removed meditation from Buddhism to study it in a scientific framework. Now Professor of Medicine Emeritus and creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Kabat-Zinn helped prove that meditation could improve mental and physical health. He documented how it eased suffering and stress in cancer patients. His evidence was so compelling that hospitals around the world began using meditation as an alternative therapy to promote the well-being of cancer patients and others.

source: mesotheliomacircle.org

Trying alternative mesothelioma therapies can seem like a scary science experiment. They can be expensive and outlandish with dubious results. Maybe it’s time to give meditation a try. It’s simple, free and one of the hottest well-being trends right now for everyone, not just cancer patients. But mesothelioma patients may stand to gain more than most by learning this gentle, ancient practice. Reported evidence suggests that mesothelioma patients who practice meditation can improve their quality of life.
What is Meditation?
Meditation, also known as mindfulness, is a mind-body process that uses concentration to relax the body and calm the mind. It has been defined as the intentional self-regulation of attention.
While meditation’s roots are in Buddhism, many people today practice a non-religious form of mindfulness that requires nothing more than sitting quietly and focusing on your breath – and thinking about nothing. It’s not always easy. The mind wanders. But the trick is to rein it back in by refocusing on breathing.
Mediation as an Alternative Therapy for Mesothelioma
Meditation is one of several alternative therapies evaluated and found to be of possible benefit by an independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The panel found that it might be a useful complementary therapy for treating chronic pain and problems such as insomnia. Some cancer treatment centers offer meditation or relaxation therapy with standard medical care. “Scientific evidence does not suggest that meditation is effective in treating cancer or any other disease; however, it may help to improve the quality of life for people with cancer,” the American Cancer Society says. About 25% of mesothelioma patients reportedly meditate to ease their mesothelioma symptoms.
Meditation can be used in combination with other alternative mesothelioma treatments we’ve discussed here at Mesothelioma Circle, including massage, yoga and acupuncture.
Meditation and Cancer – The Back Story
In the 1970s, scientist Jon Kabat-Zinn was introduced to Buddhist meditation as a student earning a PhD in molecular biology at MIT. Intrigued, he removed meditation from Buddhism to study it in a scientific framework. Now Professor of Medicine Emeritus and creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Kabat-Zinn helped prove that meditation could improve mental and physical health. He documented how it eased suffering and stress in cancer patients. His evidence was so compelling that hospitals around the world began using meditation as an alternative therapy to promote the well-being of cancer patients and others.
- See more at: http://mesotheliomacircle.org/meditation-one-best-alternative-mesothelioma-therapies/#sthash.0GEyXxyS.dpuf

Trying alternative mesothelioma therapies can seem like a scary science experiment. They can be expensive and outlandish with dubious results. Maybe it’s time to give meditation a try. It’s simple, free and one of the hottest well-being trends right now for everyone, not just cancer patients. But mesothelioma patients may stand to gain more than most by learning this gentle, ancient practice. Reported evidence suggests that mesothelioma patients who practice meditation can improve their quality of life.
What is Meditation?
Meditation, also known as mindfulness, is a mind-body process that uses concentration to relax the body and calm the mind. It has been defined as the intentional self-regulation of attention.
While meditation’s roots are in Buddhism, many people today practice a non-religious form of mindfulness that requires nothing more than sitting quietly and focusing on your breath – and thinking about nothing. It’s not always easy. The mind wanders. But the trick is to rein it back in by refocusing on breathing.
Mediation as an Alternative Therapy for Mesothelioma
Meditation is one of several alternative therapies evaluated and found to be of possible benefit by an independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The panel found that it might be a useful complementary therapy for treating chronic pain and problems such as insomnia. Some cancer treatment centers offer meditation or relaxation therapy with standard medical care. “Scientific evidence does not suggest that meditation is effective in treating cancer or any other disease; however, it may help to improve the quality of life for people with cancer,” the American Cancer Society says. About 25% of mesothelioma patients reportedly meditate to ease their mesothelioma symptoms.
Meditation can be used in combination with other alternative mesothelioma treatments we’ve discussed here at Mesothelioma Circle, including massage, yoga and acupuncture.
Meditation and Cancer – The Back Story
In the 1970s, scientist Jon Kabat-Zinn was introduced to Buddhist meditation as a student earning a PhD in molecular biology at MIT. Intrigued, he removed meditation from Buddhism to study it in a scientific framework. Now Professor of Medicine Emeritus and creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Kabat-Zinn helped prove that meditation could improve mental and physical health. He documented how it eased suffering and stress in cancer patients. His evidence was so compelling that hospitals around the world began using meditation as an alternative therapy to promote the well-being of cancer patients and others.
- See more at: http://mesotheliomacircle.org/meditation-one-best-alternative-mesothelioma-therapies/#sthash.0GEyXxyS.dpuf