Adjuvant radiotherapy might not be the best treatment for mesothelioma sufferers because researchers at Duke and Stanford found that this therapy does not help patients live longer. The researchers analyzed a database of pleural mesothelioma patients at Duke and a national registry of patients. The research looked at the outcomes[…]
Overall Survival
Doctors Should Use Pleurectomy Decortication Surgery Over Extrapleural Pneumonectomy Surgery
A study looking at many patients with pleural mesothelioma found that there is not enough of a survival advantage to support the use of extrapleural pneumonectomy surgery (EPP). The study was done at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas. EPP is the most aggressive surgery for[…]
Mesothelioma Patients with High Levels of the PD-L1 Protein Have Shorter Survival
Unfortunately for mesothelioma patients with high levels of the PD-L1 protein, they have a worse overall survival compared to patients who have lower levels. A European study looking at 200 patients wanted to see if PD-L1 and PD-1, popular targets for immunotherapy drugs, impact survival independently without immunotherapy drugs present.[…]
The Two Major Mesothelioma Surgeries Have Similar Death Rates
Japanese researchers have found that the main two types of surgery for mesothelioma have similar risks of death. The surgeries either remove the diseased lung lining and one of the lungs or just the lining. Doctors do not agree what surgery is best for mesothelioma patients, but both surgeries have[…]
A Combination of Tremelimumab and Durvalumab Can Extend Mesothelioma Survival
An Italian study has found that the combination of two immunotherapy drugs can create a long-term survival in mesothelioma patients. The two drugs, tremelimumab and durvalumab, were just given orphan drug status to treat liver cancer in the last year. The best results in the mesothelioma study were seen in[…]
A Phase III Clinical Trial is Looking at the Combination of Durvalumab and Chemotherapy to Treat Mesothelioma
A new clinical trial involving durvalumab should be closely monitored by the Food and Drug Administration. The phase III clinical trial is being performed in Baltimore, Cleveland, and Ann Arbor as well as places in New Zealand and Australia. The randomized trial is known as DREAM3R. It wants to figure[…]
Women with Pleural Mesothelioma Live Longer Compared to Men
Mesothelioma is not found in as many women as men, but studies show that women can survive longer than men. Researchers at the International Mesothelioma Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that a gene can help predict the prognosis and treatment outcome for women patients with mesothelioma.[…]
Gemcitabine Used as a Maintenance Therapy Could Help Mesothelioma Patients Live Longer
Using maintenance therapy with gemcitabine alongside chemotherapy can help increase survival in patients compared to patients just receiving palliative care. Gemcitabine is an antimetabolite, which prevents cancer cells from dividing into new cancer cells. Chemotherapy is usually the first line treatment for mesothelioma, and if patients are able to receive[…]
Thoracic Chemotherapy After Surgery Could Help Pleural Mesothelioma Patients Survive Longer
Hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy alongside aggressive therapy (HITHOC) could help extend pleural mesothelioma patient survival. Doctors perform this by circulating a heated high concentration chemotherapy solution in the chest cavity for one hour right after aggressive surgery is performed on a patient. They do this to kill microscopic tumor cells that[…]
The Herpes Virus is Being Tested as a Mesothelioma Treatment
An altered herpes virus is being tested in mesothelioma patients, and the results show that it can stabilize the growth of mesothelioma tumors. Half of the patients given the virus responded to the treatment, which is very promising. Thirteen patients were injected with a version of HSV (herpes causing virus)[…]
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