Tag Archives: Chemotherapy

Second Round of Chemotherapy May Not Help

According to a study by Turkish researchers, a second round of chemotherapy may not do much good for mesothelioma patients whose cancer returns after first-line treatment.

Chemotherapy CRS-207 mesothelioma vaccination Their findings are based on an analysis of 51 pleural mesothelioma patients from a Turkish hospital. All patients in the study were initially treated with chemotherapy, the standard first-line treatment for mesothelioma. But, when their mesothelioma tumors began to grow again several months later, some patients were treated with second-line chemotherapy (SLCT) while others had best supportive care (BSC), which includes symptom management only.

Chemotherapy Standard Is Tough

While chemotherapy is a standard first-line treatment for mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the mesothelial membranes, there is disagreement within the medical community as to whether or not second-line chemotherapy is effective. While it can sometimes slow the progression of mesothelioma, chemotherapy is also hard on the body and causes a range of dangerous side effects. For this reason, only the healthiest patients are even considered candidates for second-line chemotherapy.

Chemotherapy Survival Rates

In the Turkish study, patients who had chemotherapy as both a first- and second-line treatment had a median overall survival of 20.3 months. These patients had a median survival of 5.9 months after the end of their first-line chemotherapy. Patients who had only BSC when their mesothelioma began to grow again had a median overall survival of 14.7 months. The median overall survival for these patients from the end of their first-line chemotherapy treatment was 4.7 months.

While the figures seem to show that the second-line chemotherapy patients had better outcomes than those receiving BSC, the authors of the study say the differences between the two are not statistically significant. In addition, the fact that second-line chemotherapy is usually reserved for select patients may also contribute to the apparent skew of the results. They conclude, Our results do not support the proposal that second-line chemotherapy could be effective in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.”

While such studies can help guide mesothelioma treatment planning, treatment decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, based on a range of criteria. The original study appears in the Asian Pacific Journal for Cancer Prevention. (Mutlu, H, et al,
Secondline chemotherapy versus best supportive care in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma: a retrospective study
2013
Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
pp. 3887-3889
http://www.apocpcontrol.org/page/apjcp_issues_view.php?no=4654&gubun=p&s_search=mesothelioma&s_paper_vol=14&s_number33=6

Meso Cancer, Meso Causes

Mesothelioma: Causes and Treatments in Simple Terms

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Mesothelioma is an uncommon form of cancer that affects the body of many retired factory, military, shipyard and construction workers. While there are many aggravating factors that can worsen the severity of a mesothelioma case, it has been demonstrated with strong evidence to be primarily caused by exposure to asbestos.

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma tumors affect the protective lining surrounding a great deal of the body’s internal organs. These tumors can lead to the development of severe chest pain, low blood sugar levels, fatigue, anemia, shortness of breath and even lung collapse. Mesothelioma tumors can spread all over the body, with the exception of the brain, skeletal system and adrenal glands. Mesothelioma symptoms can take a very long time to manifest, in some cases at least 15 years. The fact that some cases are not diagnosed until decades after the initial asbestos exposure that caused them makes the cancer very hard to treat or prevent.

How Does Asbestos Exposure Occur?

Asbestos is a general term for a wide range of minerals used throughout human history, and more recently in a variety of industrial settings. Its efficiency as a cheap insulator led to it becoming very popular in homes built before the 1970s, as well as military ships during World War II. In their raw mineral form, small asbestos particles can easily become airborne, where they pose a huge risk of being inhaled. Inside the body, these abrasive dust fragments lead to the development of cancers. Many shipyard workers and factory personnel were exposed to asbestos long before the correlation between asbestos and mesothelioma was commonly noted. Modern workers who renovate older buildings are also at risk for mesothelioma inducing asbestos exposure.

How to detect Mesothelioma and What to do About it?

Diagnosis of this desease is complicated by the similarity of mesothelioma symptoms to a many other common diseases. Generaly, a complete detailed review of a patient’s medical history as well as their occupational history and experience is necessary in obtaining an accurate diagnosis. The historic study is usually followed by thorough physical examinations including chest X-rays, lung function tests and CT scans or MRIs.

There are few treatments for mesothelioma that can provide some sort of cure by themselves, and surgery has proven frequently ineffective on mesothelioma. Chemotherapy is the most commonly administered effective therapy, and immunotherapy treatments have provided various results, some of which were in fact successful. There are clinical trials of new treatments that are in Phase II and Phase III study that are proving to be very hopeful of a cure to mesothelioma cancer.

Get more information about Asbestos Exposure, here!

Get more information about Mesothelioma Causes and Treatments, here!