Combining the drug ramucirumab with the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine is showing to be a successful second line treatment for pleural mesothelioma. Ramucirumab is a type of immunotherapy drug called a monoclonal antibody, which targets and restricts proteins that stimulate blood vessel growth in tumors. The Lancet Oncology published the results[…]
From the blog
Mesothelioma Patient Health Improves a Year After Surgery
It could take time for mesothelioma patients to have better lung function after pleural mesothelioma surgery since some patients have better lung function a year after surgery compared to the days and weeks after the operation. Researchers in Japan published their findings in Integrative Cancer Therapies. There were 24 male[…]
Tremelimumab and Durvalumab are a Good Second Line Treatment for Mesothelioma
Two immunotherapy drugs, tremelimumab and durvalumab, are showing to be a successful second line treatment for pleural mesothelioma when combined. This could mean that more treatments will be approved for the treatment of mesothelioma. The results of this phase II clinical trial were published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine from[…]
HITHOC After Pleurectomy and Decortication Surgery Can Improve Survival
There are some good results coming from a German study looking at Pleurectomy and Decortication surgery (P/D) being combined with HITHOC. Pleurectomy surgery is surgery that removes mesothelioma tumors but leaves the lung intact while HITHOC is a method of adding heated chemotherapy to the pleural area, sparing the rest[…]
Radiation Does Not Improve Survival in Pleural Mesothelioma Patients
A study at the Duke University Medical Center has found that radiation does not extend survival in pleural mesothelioma patients. A dual registry analysis was performed to determine the effectiveness of aggressive surgery and radiation. Adjuvant radiation is recommended as a treatment by many cancer centers including the U.S. National[…]
ONCOFID-P Was Given Orphan Drug Status to Treat Pleural Mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma could soon have a new approved treatment option. The Food and Drug Administration just granted orphan drug status to ONCOFID-P for the treatment of the cancer. It is currently being studied for invasive bladder cancer, but data from lab and mice models is showing it could be beneficial[…]
Researchers are Trying to Find New Treatments to Combine with Tumor Treating Fields
Tumor Treating Fields were approved for treating mesothelioma, and while they are effective, researchers want to make them more effective for the cancer. A researcher at the Humanitas University in Milan is studying different drug combinations to use with Tumor Treating Fields. The goal is to find a drug that[…]
CAR-T Cell Therapy and Keytruda is Showing Real Promise
Researchers at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are experimenting with a combination of CAR-T cell therapy and Keytruda, a PD-1 blocker for the treatment of pleural mesothelioma. This is the first time that these two therapies have been combined. The results were recently published in Cancer Discovery. Mesothelioma is[…]
A New Predictive Model Could Help Doctors Choose the Best Surgery for Mesothelioma Patients
Doctors could soon pick the best surgery for pleural mesothelioma patients because of a new predictive model created by Harvard researchers. There are different types of mesothelioma surgery: one involves removing a lung while the other leaves the lungs. The best surgery for each individual patient depends on the person’s[…]
Immunotherapy Treatment for Mesothelioma Could Become Safer and More Effective
Research could help create better and safer immunotherapy treatments for mesothelioma. Immunotherapy is a fast growing and exciting way to treat cancer because it uses the body’s own immune system to treat cancer instead of harmful drugs like chemotherapy. Immunotherapy can be way more effective than typical treatments, but it[…]