Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body’s internal organs. Annually, the incidence of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is approximately 2 to 2.6 cases per million. Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they inhaled asbestos particles, such as Pipe Fitters.
Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also metastasize (spread) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.
Mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer, although reported incidence rates have increased in the past twenty years,. About 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year.
The Southern California Pipe Trades (SCPT) continues to make a significant effort to support the Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America in helping find a cure. The SCPT donated $410,000.00 at the end of 2010 to help us prepare for the Phase III Clinical Trials of our research with Veglin that will launch sometime in 2011.
Donation Representatives, left-to-right
Sid C. Stopler (DC 16 Business Manager – UA Vice President District 5)
Michael Layton (DC 16 Assistant Business Manager)
Parkash Gill, M.D. (Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board)
Elizabeth Ann Paul (Executive Director of Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America)
Jerry Neil Paul (Founding Director of Mesothelioma Research Foundation of America)
John Ferruccio (DC 16 Director of Organizating)
Cure Mesothelioma Research Update
The average post-diagnostic survival time of malignant mesothelioma sufferers is between one and two years. Traditional mesothelioma treatments have had no success in eradicating the disease and have produced limited success in extending patient survival time. Therefore, new and experimental mesothelioma treatments are becoming increasingly popular options for cancer sufferers.
A new approach in finding a mesothelioma cure is a drug called Veglin being studied by Dr. Gill at the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Veglin is one of several newly developed non-chemotherapy drugs being tested in the ongoing struggle to combat malignant mesothelioma. The new drug is an anti-angiogenesis agent that works by cutting off the blood supply that cancer cells need in order to grow. Veglin is currently in the last part of Phase II Clinical Trials with the FDA and Phase III trials should begin sometime in 2011. More information on Veglin and the trial can be found at http://www.mesorfa.org/treatments/veglin.php. Patients interested in taking part in the next clinical trial should talk with their doctor, and contact Dr. Parkash Gill.
Interview with Dr. Parkash Gill
Dr. Gill runs the Mesothelioma Cancer Research Lab at USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and can be contacted directly at the Mesorfa.org web site.
What are this year’s plans in terms of research?
This year is going to be really exciting for Veglin and research. Veglin will be introduced into the third and final phase of the Federal Drug Administration approval process. This should all be happening by the end of the 2011 year. This will open up the patient base because the drug will be able to be administered at facilities across the United States.
What are some of the new drugs you are working on?
We have some of the brightest researchers in the nation working on finding a cure and some amazing results are coming out. Just look at Veglin. The new drugs mentioned in previous articles and newsletters, EPH-B4 and Delta, are showing great promise of following in Veglin’s footsteps. There is still much work to be done but the lab results coming from combinations, of say Veglin with Delta, or Delta with EPH-B4, are better than I could have ever hoped. We are very close, but like I said there is much work to be done.