Category Archives: Press Releases

Current press release information from the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America, particularly regarding Veglin, FDA Phase III clinical trials.

Meso Treatments, Press Releases, Stories & News

Radical Mesothelioma Treatment Can Save Lives

radical mesothelioma treatment is new treatment in research

Mesothelioma Treatment Challenges

The challenge posed by mesothelioma is great and doctors as well as researchers are looking for new options of mesothelioma treatment. Radical mesothelioma treatment, sometimes called experimental treatment, are simply new advancements in mesothelioma treatment.  Occasionally, these treatments are used along with traditional treatments, other times they are used alone.  Because radical mesothelioma treatment is new, the effectiveness of treatment and side effects are unknown.

If you have mesothelioma and are interested in trying a radical mesothelioma treatment, find and sign up for a clinical trial or clinical study.  A clinical trial is a rigorously controlled test using new medicine or a new medical device on human subjects.  When provided in the U.S., clinical trials of an experimental mesothelioma treatment is conducted with the supervision of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before the treatment is made available to common public use.

Examples of Radical Mesothelioma Treatment

Gene therapy, immuno therapy, photo-dynamic therapy are examples of radical mesothelioma treatment.

Gene therapy is the modification or replacement of missing or damaged genes in the cancer cells of a mesothelioma patient with functional ones.  This mesothelioma treatment methods differ according to the types of genes used and the methods used to inject them into tissues.

Immuno therapy is the mesothelioma treatment that uses natural substances which the body uses to fight infection and disease. This treatment is generally used along with other treatments to strengthen the mesothelioma patient’s immune system. In this procedure, artificial immune system proteins are sometimes injected to stimulate a patient’s normal ability to fight sickness.

Photodynamic therapy involves a drug which is stimulated by a photosensitizing agent.

Finally, there are complementary and alternative holistic medicine methods sometimes used to treat or alleviate cancer symptoms.  These methods are not considered as valid by many in the medical profession; however numerous patients and alternative healers think these practices are very effective. Acupuncture, herbs, homeopathy, therapeutic massage and Eastern medicines are some of the alternative options.

 A Life Saved With New Mesothelioma Treatment

 

 

Additional clinical trial information about mesothelioma treatment

More Mesothelioma Treatment Articles

Meso Treatments, Press Releases, Stories & News

Mesothelioma Treatment Options – asbestos causes mesothelioma cancer

Mesothelioma Treatment Option – cancer mesothelioma asbestos

Mesothelioma is a cancer which affects the tissue which surrounds and protects various organs in the body. This tissue is called the Mesothelium, and Mesothelioma causes it to become abnormal, divide without control, and invade and damage nearby organs.

The most common form is pleural mesothelioma which affects the sac that lines the chest cavity and protects the lungs (the pleura). Other forms are peritoneum mesothelioma (which affects the abdominal cavity) and pericardium mesothelioma (affecting the lining around the heart). The tumours can be either benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) although they are most often malignant.

Mesothelioma Causes

Mesothelioma is caused by the inhalation of asbestos, a fibrous carcinogenic.

These fibres lodge themselves in the lining of the lung affecting the mesothelial cells. Sometimes they cause scarring of the lungs (which is called asbestosis) but this is not cancerous. They can, however, trigger tumour growth between 20 to 50 years after they are inhaled (the average is 35 to 40 years). Asbestos fibres which are swallowed can reach the lining of the abdominal cavity where they play a part in causing peritoneal mesothelioma.

It is generally the case that the longer or more intense the exposure to asbestos the more likely Mesothelioma is to occur. However, there are cases of people getting Mesothelioma years after having worked with it for just a few months. The families of asbestos workers are also at risk as they would possibly have been exposed to asbestos fibres on the clothing of their loved ones.

The dangers of asbestos have not always been as well known as they are today.  Before the 1970s asbestos was a primary insulating material with little or no control in its use or handling. The resulting increase in cases of Mesothelioma is a direct cause of these past practices.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Mesothelioma is often well advanced before symptoms are recognized.   Consequently, the prognosis for the disease is usually poor with the common survival time for all stages of Malignant Mesothelioma being about one year.  Mesothelioma symptoms resemble pneumonia, which coughs, breathing difficulties and abdominal pain being common.

Mesothelioma Treatments

Mesothelioma can be treated by chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery, or a combination of the three.

  • Mesothelioma Surgery Treatment

Extra pleural pneumonectomy is where the entire lung and a portion of the lining of the chest, the diaphragm, and some or the entire sac which surrounds the heart is removed.

Wide local excision targets and removes the cancer and a limited amount of the healthy tissue surrounding the cancerous region.

Pleurectomy and decortication removes part of the covering of the lungs, as well as the lining of the chest and portions of the outside covering of the lungs.

  • Mesothelioma Chemotherapy Treatment

Pleurodesis uses a blend of chemicals and/or drugs to create an intentional scar between the layers of the pleura. Post surgery, the space created by the scar must be drained, using either a catheter or chest tube, and is then filled with a chemical which inhibits the accumulation of fluid in the pleura cavity.

  • Mesothelioma Radiation Treatment

Radiation therapy is used to treat Mesothelioma patients with the goal of controlling the spread of cancer in combination with surgery and chemotherapy. Radiation emanates from high energy X-rays, photons, neutrons, cobalt, or other radiation sources. Chemotherapy and Radiation treatments are useful ways to combat other types of cancers but, used alone, have not been very helpful for treating Mesothelioma.

Research continues as the medical field looks for a cure.  Different combinations of drugs and surgery, studies of newly developed drugs, gene therapy, and more are being studied, with clinical trials in the United States and abroad.

Prognosis for mesothelioma is difficult to estimate consistently when looking at different research studies because there are often large differences in the time before diagnosis and the rate of disease progression.  Many factors affect a person’s prognosis, including the type of disease, a person’s age and general health, when the disease was found, and a person’s response to treatment.

 Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.

For some patients, taking part in a mesothelioma clinical trial may be the best treatment choice.  Mesothelioma clinical trials are part of the cancer research process.  Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment.

Many of today’s standard treatments for mesothelioma cancer are based on previous, earlier clinical trials.  Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new mesothelioma treatment.

Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.

Learn more about Mesothelioma, Asbestos, Symptoms and Treatments

Meso Treatments, Press Releases, Stories & News

Cisplatin Treatment for Mesothelioma May Prove to be a Safe Alternative

Dr. Chris Carter, a scientist in Europe is working to develop a treatment for mesothelioma that would perhaps be more effective than traditional methods of treatment.  Currently, patients with mesothelioma cancer receive medication through intravenous injections.  But, the new method of treatment would be delivered in the form of an inhaler.  Using an inhaler would bring the Cisplatin medication directly to the cancer cells in the lungs.

As a result of direct and prolonged contact with asbestos, a person will contract a form of lung caner called Mesothelioma.  Because the disease forms in and affects the lungs, treating it directly at the source could be a much more effective way than traditional needles. This new treatment will use a nebulizer to deliver medication directly to the lungs in a vaporized form. Researchers believe that this method could be more effective and could also help to eliminate the commonly felt side effects of mesothelioma treatment which can include kidney disease as well as other complications.

Each year, mesothelioma causes thousands of patients to suffer from this deadly disease but might benefit by the development of this new treatment method.  Mesothelioma cancer brings 2,000 to 3,000 deaths in the United States every year, as well as thousands mores each year in Scotland where research on the new treatment method using Cisplatin nebulizer is being conducted.  Scientists are working on this method with Dr. Chris Carter through the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.   The treatment method  should be released relatively soon for clinical trial, and they are very optimistic that their treatment will work.

Dr. Chris Carter, senior lecturer leading the research team states:

By delivering Cisplatin, one of the most widely used drugs for lung cancer, in a vaporized form, we would be able to get it to the cancerous cells and avoid the damage to healthy cells which can be hugely debilitating to patients. It would make the treatment far less onerous for them and we hope it would help them to live longer.

The new treatment would provide effective dosage to patients who are limited by the type of treatment that they can receive and will help to eliminate harmful side effects of Cisplatin which patients normally feel after intravenous injection of the drug. The nebulizer will target the lungs with the medication, and  allow the drug to be administered into the patients system much faster than traditional treatment.  This too could help to alleviate discomfort from the disease much more quickly.

This research shows that scientists and many health organizations continue in the fight to help patients with this deadly disease. Treatments are constantly being researched as scientists work to find an overall cure for mesothelioma which some doctors considered incurable.

Find More Mesothelioma Treatment Treatments

Meso Cancer, Meso Causes, Meso Treatments, Press Releases, Stories & News

Aggressive Mesothelioma Cancer: Some Characteristics

Mesothelioma is an aggressive form of cancer currently without a cure. Exposure to free-floating asbestos dust particles is the primary cause for getting this disease.  Generally, no amount of asbestos exposure is considered safe, and the disease almost always develops in persons that have had extensive, recurring exposure.   Once the exposure has taken hold with asbestos particles stuck in the lining of the lung(s), the detection of mesothelioma cancer may take 20 to 50 years.  The type of asbestos, fiber particle size as well as the duration of recurring exposure are decisive in the development of the mesothelioma cancer.  Today, asbestos is banned in most countries from all industries, particularly the construction industry, which only a few decades ago used it in many building materials.  Asbestos is still being consumed and used by lesser developed nations, and some nations like Canada still mine the ore and ship it to these user nations.

Mesothelioma is frequently mistaken as a lung cancer, which it is not, simply because it affects the thoracic cavity (pleura) most often as well as other thin membranes that cover the body’s organs.

Body organ membranes where mesothelioma can also develop include the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum);  the fibroserous sac which encloses the heart (the pericardium); and the serous membrane that covers the testis and epididymis (the tunica vaginalis).

Generally, symptoms of having mesothelioma include: a cough, husky voice, shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing, difficult swallowing, chest pain, abdominal swelling with pain, fatigue, anemia, loss of appetite, weight loss, fluid in the chest or abdomen, lack of sleep, and other characteristics.  Obviously, to diagnose mesothelioma is challenging and to connect the symptoms with the cancer because so many of its symptoms are easily mistaken for more common diseases that are not life threatening such as flu, pneumonia or bronchitis.

So, there are three main types of mesothelioma cancers:

  • malignant pleural mesothelioma
  • malignant pericardial mesothelioma
  • malignant peritoneal mesothelioma

And less common types of this disease include:

  • testicular mesothelioma
  • epithelial mesothelioma
  • biphasic mesothelioma
  • cystic mesothelioma
  • liver mesothelioma
  • brain mesothelioma
  • papillary mesothelioma
  • adenocarcinoma mesothelioma
  • sarcomatoid mesothelioma
  • desmoplastic mesothelioma

There are several primary options for the treatment of mesothelioma cancer:

  • mesothelioma surgery
  • mesothelioma chemotherapy
  • mesothelioma radiation

These treatments can be combined for a best-results treatment.  During surgery, the cancer cells are removed and post-surgery mesothelioma doctors usually use radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Treating mesothelioma cancer with these methods will give the patients a possible extension of five years to their lives. Additional treatments used by mesothelioma doctors are anti-angiogenesis drugs, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and intraoperative photodynamic therapy.

Special research and clinical trials are being conducted by the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America on a cure for mesothelioma with good results on the early Phase I and Phase II trials.  This work is done as a collaborative effort for a mesothelioma cancer patient by a team of general practitioners, epidemiologists, pathologists, thoracic surgeons, radiation therapists, oncologists, rehabilitation specialists and psychotherapists.

Contact a mesothelioma doctor in your area with the help of our support staff.

Find out more about mesothelioma victims.

Meso Treatments, Press Releases, Stories & News

Mesothelioma FDG-PET/CT Scan Results Affected by Talc Pleurodesis

Mesothelioma patients who undergo a procedure called talc pleurodesis (TP) for excess lung fluid may be harder to monitor with FDG-PET/CT scans afterward.

Mesothelioma and FDG-PET/CT scanTalc pleurodesis is a procedure used to manage pleura effusions, the build-up of fluid around the lungs that causes many of the most uncomfortable symptoms of malignant pleural mesothelioma. As a mesothelioma tumor spreads across the pleural lining, the body often produces fluid in response.  As this fluid fills up the pleural cavity between the mesothelial lining and the lungs it can cause pain and make it hard for the mesothelioma patient to breath. Draining the fluid and filling the space with medical-grade talc is one way to deal with the problem.

But a new study suggests that talc pleurodesis may interfere with the primary means doctors use to monitor a mesothelioma patient’s disease progression and treatment response. FDG-PET scanning involves injecting the patient with a radioactive tracer and then using PET/CT (positron emission tomography and computerized tomography) to measure how much of the tracer is absorbed by cancer cells. The mesothelioma cells’ ‘uptake’ of tracer can be used to determine how well chemotherapy is working.

But when a team of Italian researchers compared the radiologic and metabolic treatment responses in eight mesothelioma patients who had undergone chemotherapy and talc pleurodesis, they found a problem. Eight patients were evaluated – 7 who had the epithelioid subtype of mesothelioma and 1 who had biphasic. After their TP treatment, they underwent FDG-PET/CT scans twice, once around 14 days and a second time around 125 days. The researchers found that, by increasing the amount of tracer absorbed by cancer cells, TP treatment can make it look as though a patient’s disease is progressing more rapidly than it is.

“TP produces an increased FDG-PET uptake which may interfere with the post-chemotherapy disease evaluation,” observe the researchers. To compensate, they recommend a slightly modified way of interpreting the FDG-PET scan results in these patients.

Sources:

Genestreti, G et al, “FDG PET/CT Response Evaluation in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Patients Treated with Talc Pleurodesis and Chemotherapy”, June 1, 2012, Journal of Cancer, Epub head of print.
Press Releases

The JOHNS Donate $5,000 For Mesothelioma Cancer Research

Press Release
March 14, 2012

The entire staff at the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America stops and takes a deliberate moment to recognize and send a sincere thanks to the JOHNS for their donation of $5,000 designated for mesothelioma cancer research. The JOHNS event is held annually to honor a dear deceased friend, John S. Lyons, by acknowledging today’s Labor Leader of the Year as well as raise money for cancer research and other local charities. As always, 100% of the donation received by the Foundation will go toward research into treatment options for mesothelioma cancer. We also give a special thank you to our friends at the JOHNS who made this possible. Our relationship with medical research facilities in San Diego has been made possible by the help of the San Diego County Building Trades Business Manager and JOHNS Co-Chairman, Tom Lemmon and his fellow JOHNS award recipients, Retired U.A. Local 230 Business Manager, Nico Ferrarro, and current U.A. Local 230 Business Manager Kirk Crosswhite. These good allies are at the forefront of encouraging Dr. Parkash Gill and this Foundation to continue having a nexus in San Diego, CA where Dr. Gill is actively working with a lab of researchers furthering his research into better treatment options for Mesothelioma cancer, as well as other cancers that demonstrate a response to anti-angiogenesis treatments. More about anti-angiogenesis treatments (non-chemotherapy drugs) and Dr. Gill’s research can be found at:

http://mesorfa.org/treatments/non-chemo-drugs.php

Press Releases

Cancer Monthly Journal and Database for Mesothelioma Research

Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) March 08, 2012

Cancer Monthly is proud to announce that it now provides treatment results for Non Hodgkins Lymphoma and Bladder Cancer. Cancer Monthly is the only centralized source of cancer treatment results. Founded more than seven years ago, Cancer Monthly now provides information on the actual performance for nearly 1,000 different treatments for Bladder, Brain (anaplastic astrocytoma and glioblastoma), Breast, Colon, Kidney, Liver, Lung (non small cell), Melanoma, Mesothelioma, Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, Ovarian, Prostate, and Rectal Cancer.

For each individual treatment the data includes: actual survival rates, quality of life indicators, drug information, and more. The purpose of the Cancer Monthly is to provide patients with better tools to have more effective discussions with their doctors, explains Michael Horwin the President of Cancer Monthly. Most of the data focuses on cancers in the more advanced stages because in those situations time is at a premium and Cancer Monthly can help patients save research time.

Cancer Monthly has been used by several million patients and doctors over the last seven years. This internet database is free and easy to use. Visitors simply select the kind of cancer they are researching, the types of treatments they are interested in, and where they are located. Treatment types include: Alternative, Biologic therapy, Chemotherapy, Gene Therapy, Hormone, Immunotherapy, Radiation, and Surgery. The database then provides the various treatments that meet these requirements. The data is sorted by the highest survival rate but the user can also sort by hospital, country, date, and toxicity of the treatment. Once a treatment of interest is identified the user can print out an abstract describing the therapy and share it with their doctor. Users can also email the doctor responsible for the therapy if they would like to obtain further details. All of the data comes from the peer reviewed oncology literature medical articles written by physicians and researchers.

Cancer Monthly is just one time-saving tool to help patients perform research on cancer treatments, says Horwin. Because the data comes from the medical journals it can help patients make more informed treatment decisions with their doctors.

To visit Cancer Monthly go to http://www.cancermonthly.com

More Mesothelioma Press Releases

Meso Treatments, Press Releases, Stories & News

Jeff Davis- Lung Cancer Mesothelioma Remission with the use of Marine Phytoplankton

The Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America and our staff are constantly looking for news of recent trials and methods being attempted to find a cure to mesothelioma cancer. During a recent study, we came across these two (2) videos on YouTube regarding mesothelioma treatments. We have not tested or tried these methods, and we do NOT endorse nor do we prescribe these methods, but rather bring them to your attention that you may ask your oncologist and other medical advisers about these options.

Mesothelioma Remission When Using Marine Phytoplankton

Jeff Davis receives a surprise phone call asking him about his use of Marine Phytoplankton (which he refers to as “medicine”). He had Mesothelioma lung cancer to the point of spitting up blood every night and could hardly walk a short distance with out running out of breath.  After eight days of taking Marine Phytoplankton he said he no longer was spitting up blood, could breathe much easier and could work construction all day again without stopping. We too thought this was too good to be true, but the following conversation sounds very real and convincing!

More information on how to Win The Fight Against Cancer Naturally at the website:

www.winthefightagainstcancernaturally.org

Urgent need to identify new drugs to face peak of cases in 10 years

The next video is an interview with Dr. Fortunato Ciardiello, MD, PhD about the use of Vorinostat in patients with advanced pleural mesothelioma (VANTAGE 014).

This interview by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO).

The Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America was founded in 2001 with a mission: fund research that leads to the quickest and surest cure for mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs caused by asbestos exposure. This cancer disease had few treatment options until this MesoRFA.org and Dr. Parkash Gill’s work created better treatment options. Today, the future looks more hopeful for additional improved treatment options available to those stricken by this cancer.

Submit your mesothelioma questions to Ask Dr. Parkash Gill to receive the oncologist’s Free response and opinion.

 

Press Releases

MesoRFA Urges Families Grieving Over The Loss Of Their Mesothelioma Patient To Support Research For A Cure

Researchers study Veglin in search of a Mesothelioma cancer cure
Researchers at MesoRFA.org

The Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America understands:

We know first-hand how horrible a mesothelioma diagnosis can be for a US Navy Veteran or an individual, and we know first-hand how hard it is for the family. Unfortunately, too many families affected by mesothelioma do not know what to do or who to call, and they simply do nothing. The Research Foundation was created to do something special through research to produce a drug that brings hope for a cure,  like Veglin.  There is also concern that many US Navy Veterans or individuals die each year from mesothelioma, because they never received proper healthcare, or the doctor simply missed the mesothelioma.

MesoRFA is working hard to be game changers for US Navy Veterans or individuals dealing with a mesothelioma diagnosis, or a family dealing with a loss of their loved one from this rare deadly disease.

Aside from US Navy Veterans, other high risk groups for mesothelioma cancer include shipyard, power plant, or oil refinery workers, plumbers, electricians, county, chemical plant, or city municipal water district workers, miners, demolition construction contractors, railroad workers, or auto brake technicians.

According to MesoRFA lead researcher and oncologist, Dr. Parkash S. Gill:

Typically the average US mesothelioma victim is about 72 years old. More often than not mesothelioma is diagnosed three, four, or even five decades after the exposure to asbestos. Regrettably mesothelioma frequently appears out of the blue. Almost all US mesothelioma victims are retired, and it’s literally the last thing they ever thought might happen to them. Most don’t exactly what mesothelioma cancer is, and it is a serious concern that hundreds of families dealing with a mesothelioma death haven’t realized that new, break through research on a cure is available for their support of future patients who will be diagnosed with this cancer.

Individuals who were exposed to asbestos and have developed symptoms of mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis or another asbestos-related disease should seek a  professional medical opinion.  The Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America (a not-for-profit research organization) provides free access to our mesothelioma research team for answers to your medical questions.  Simply Ask Dr. Gil.

Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America
800-909-meso
800-909- 6376
 http://MesoRFA.org

Meso Treatments, Press Releases, Stories & News

Treatments for Pericardial Mesothelioma including Veglin

Pericardial Mesothelioma Introduction

Pericardial Mesothelioma is an extremely difficult cancer to treat and presently, all treatment methods used have a poor success rate.  The chances of a patient’s survival depend largely on how early and how aggressively the cancer is treated.  If pericardial mesothelioma is treated when it has fully matured and developed then the chances of survival are very slim and the prognosis for a patient could be only a couple of months.  The latency period of pericardial mesothelioma (20 – 50 years), and its symptoms which are ordinary of other more common diseases such as pneumonia, make it extremely difficult to diagnose and therefore difficult to treat in its early stages.  In this way, a lot of pericardial mesothelioma treatments do not aim to cure patients but instead focus on reducing the symptoms.

Before a patient is treated, a doctor will evaluate him or her, and afterwards decide which treatment method is most suitable for the patient’s situation.  The patient’s age, medical history, general well being and even weight are taken into account before the doctor will decide which of the three treatments are most appropriate.  These treatments are surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Surgery

There are two different types of surgery that can be used one of which is called aggressive surgery.  This is the most dangerous of all the treatment methods available and only the fittest of people are deemed strong enough to undergo this.  Aggressive surgery consists of removing large chunks of cancerous cells from inside the patient.  This is extremely dangerous in the case of pericardial mesothelioma seeing as the cancerous cells are in extremely close proximity to vital organs such as the heart and lungs.  Extremely skilled surgeons are needed to perform this operation.

The second type of surgery is palliative procedures and this type of surgery is used only for the purpose of reducing the symptoms of the cancer.  Palliative procedures are performed when pericardial mesothelioma is in its latest stages and is practically impossible to cure.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is the most well known cure of cancers and involves using drugs to kill of cancerous cells.  However, many of the drugs used do not have a high success rate although researchers are discovering new combinations of drugs that work more effectively.  Many pharmaceutical companies are also endeavouring to find new drugs.  Researchers predict that they will soon discover a drug with a significantly improved success rate.

Radiation Therapy

This form of treatment uses doses of radiation to kill cancerous cells.  However, in the case of pericardial mesothelioma this is extremely difficult because as well as damaging cancerous cells, the radiation also damages vital organs such as the heart and lungs.  This makes using radiation therapy most effectively extremely difficult.  The dose of radiation is usually too weak to make a significant impact on curing pericardial mesothelioma.

Dual Therapy

Dual therapy is just a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.  This consists of using surgery to remove the majority of the cancer cells and then using chemotherapy and radiation therapy to kill off any remaining cells.  This has proved to be an effective treatment method however also very dangerous.  Only the fittest young people are able to undergo this treatment.

Non-Chemotherapy Veglin Drug: Clinical Trials

Veglin is an anti-angiogenesis non-chemotherapy drug (angiogenesis inhibitor) that was developed by Dr. Parkash S. Gill, Oncologist and Lead Contributor for the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America, for the treatment of a variety of malignancies including mesothelioma. Veglin is one of several newly developed non-chemotherapy drugs being tested for possible utilization in the ongoing struggle to combat malignant mesothelioma.

About Veglin as an Angiogenesis Drug

Angiogenesis refers to the physiological process by which new blood vessels are formed from existing blood vessels. Angiogenesis is a natural process of cellular growth and development; however, it also fuels tumor metastasis (spread and growth of cancer). Tumors have a limited capacity to grow unaided. In order to continue to grow and metastasize, tumors require a continuous flow of oxygen and essential nutrients. In order for tumors to receive such a continuous flow, they require blood vessel growth into the cancerous mass. Tumors induce the required blood vessel growth by secreting a variety of growth factors (VEGF). It is believed (and proven effective in early clinical trials) that preventing the formation of new blood vessels can prevent the growth and spread of tumors.

Conclusion

Individuals who were exposed to asbestos and have developed symptoms of mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis or another asbestos-related disease should seek a  professional medical opinion.  The Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America (a not-for-profit research organization) provides free access to our mesothelioma research team for answers to your medical questions.  Simply Ask Dr