Mesothelioma Therapy

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells That make up the lining around the outside of the lungs & inside of the ribs (pleura), or around the abdominal organs (peritoneum).
What does asbestos must do with mesothelioma?
The only known cause of mesothelioma in the U.S. is earlier exposure to asbestos fibers. Asbestos manufacturers Knew about the hazards of asbestos seventy years ago - but They kept this knowledge to themselves. The first warnings to workers exposed to asbestos were the resource persons given in the mid-1960s, They were the resource persons & terribly inadequate. Even today, workers are not always toll They are working around asbestos & are in danger for asbestos disease.
What cans anyone with mesothelioma do?

  * Seek out the best & most up-to-date information.
  * Seek out the best medical care.
  * Early screening for mesothelioma diagnosis.
  * Stay in close contact along with your doctor.
  * Think about whether or not You Need to bring a lawsuit Because of this asbestos-related injury.
  * Keep in mind That resources are available to you through community & medical support groups, asbestos Victims' organizations, your place of worship, as well as your relatives & friends.

Treatment of mesothelioma:
Doctors specializing in mesothelioma treatment often Adopt a multimodal approach: They treat a patient with a mix of therapies. Due to the relative lack of effectiveness of single-modality treatment in affecting patient survival, the multimodal combination of treatments holds more promise for the survival of malignant mesothelioma Patients.
The December 1999 issue of the medical journal, Chest, published a clinical case presentation That illustrates a typical multimodal treatment. The patient was a 52-year-old man with an early diagnosis of Stage I pleural mesothelioma. Doctors performed a pleurectomy (ie surgical procedure) & then delivered intrapleural doses of chemotherapy drugs. Then they received an additional localized radiation & chemotherapy. years after the surgical procedure they did not show proof of the tumor.
The author concluded trimodality That Aggressive therapy for mesothelioma is introduced as a successful treatment option.
In recent years, there has been Some progress made in the management of malignant mesothelioma, in the area of ��combination of agents & treatment methods Used. .
The Following discussions of mesothelioma treatments is organized in to separate sections (surgical procedure, photodynamic therapy, radiation, etc.) So That EACH part of a mix of treatments (multimodality therapy) cans be better understood.
Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Surgical procedure
There's main types of surgical treatment for pleural mesothelioma: extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP) & pleurectomy / decortication.
EPP involves the removal of the pleura, diaphragm, pericardium, & the whole lung involved with the tumor. Pleurectomy / decortication involves the removal of the pleura without removing the whole lung.
Which treatment is recommended Depends on plenty of factors, Including the stage of the tumor. (The NCI has a detailed description of mesothelioma stages.) However, it is not clear if EPP significantly Provides Greater Than benefits pleurectomy / decortication, & indeed if Either is significantly more effective Than the non-surgical options.
A recent study followed about 400 mesothelioma Patients who, Between 1983 & 1998, Had pleurectomy / decortication, or extra-pleural pneumonectomy (EPP), or thoracotomy. The results indicate That no type of surgical procedure was more effective Than another in extending the survival rate. , other factors appeared to choose how long people survived. These factors included the stage & cell type of the tumor, the gender of the patient, & the type of treatment (s) given together with the surgical procedure.
Surgical procedure cans Sometimes Provide symptomatic relief & the bulk of the tumor cans be removed. Surgical procedure is Often used in combination with other treatments (known as multi-modal treatments), but its value is very limited if the tumor is near any vital organs.
Both EPP & pleurectomy / decortication acre complex surgeries, not performed often by most Surgeons. They need referral to centers dedicated to Such treatments. Also plenty of of these centers focus on other forms of mesothelioma treatment, Either alone or in combination (multi-modal therapy.) You Ought to discuss along with your doctor referrals.
Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Radiation Therapy (Radiotherapy)
This treatment involves the localized use of high-dose radiation (like x-rays) on malignant tumors. Usually, it is not a primary treatment but is Used together with other therapies Such as surgical resection & chemotherapy. It is usually Used to reduce the size of the symptomatic tumors & help relieve signs like pain & shortness of breath.
Cans the which factors limit the application of this treatment include the volume of the tumor & how near it is to vital organs.
Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment technique Often used in combination with other treatments, Such as drugs or surgical procedure. PDT makes use of light to kill cancerous cells. Photodynamic therapy is still in an experimental stage for treatment of mesothelioma.
Initially, the patient receives a photosensitizer the which collects in cancerous cells but not in healthy cells. (A photosensitizer is a drug the which makes malignant cells vulnerable (sensitive) to light of specific wavelengths.) After the cells have been sensitized, fiberoptic cables are placed in the body (usually through open-chest surgical procedure) in order to focus light of a the right frequency on the tumor. This causes the photosensitizer to Produce a poisonous oxygen molecule the which kills the cell.
Mesothelioma Treatments - Immunotherapy & Gene Therapy
Immunotherapy
Also Often called biological therapy, is based on the theory That it is feasible to mobilize the body's own immune defenses against cancerous cells. Another name Often applies to this therapy, biological response modifiers (BRMs).
Gene Therapy
This a new treatment in the which is currently in clinical trials. Using an adenovirus for delivery, a "suicide gene" is inserted directly in to the tumor. This gene makes the cells sensitive to a normally ineffective drug, Such as glanciclovir. Treatment with the drug then destroys those cells are quickly dividing That - the which are the cancer cells - Leaving the healthy cells unhurt.
In theory, this approach allows treatment to target the tumor specifically, as against chemotherapy treatments Such as the which kill healthy Also cells.Gene therapy for mesothelioma is being researched at the University of Pennsylvania, with Dr. Steven Albelda as the principal investigator. This treatment is not without risk, as Became apparent in the death of Jesse Gelsinger, a University of Pennsylvania gene therapy trial participant. (Note That Mr. Gelsinger was not a participant in the mesothelioma trial.)
Cytokines - interferons (IFN) & interleukins (IL):
Cytokines are tiny proteins, That occur naturally in the human body. They are similar to hormones & have specific effects on the behavior of other cells.
In 1976 Dr. Robert Gallo (later head of the National Cancer Institute, & famous for his work on HIV) have isolated a protein molecule Called cytokine interleukin-2 (IL2), the which can stimulating the growth of immune technique cells Called T-cells. Sometimes T-cells are called "killer cells" Because They search out malignant or virally infected cells & kill Them. Using IL2 as a treatment for pleural mesothelioma is still in the experimental stages, but injecting Researchers Hope that will of IL2 intrapleurally promote a significant anti-tumor response.
Also interferons are naturally occuring cytokine proteins, but They inhibit the growth of malignant cells as well as enhance the immune technique. Like interleukins, immune technique, these promoters are being tested to see if They help increase is the body's response to what is Often an very resistant malignancy, mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Angiogenesis Therapies
Cancer cells, like other cells in the human body, Rely for Their growth on a rich supply of blood. They must be surrounded by an effective network of capillaries & bigger blood vessels That nourish the cells. The medical term for the technique of developing this network is angiogenesis.
In fact, the fast-growing cancers are highly efficient at promoting angiogenesis. That They Produce angiogenesis promoters generate a network of capillaries & blood vessels around the tumor. The tumor is nourished with an Increasing the supply of oxygen-rich blood, & it grows & spreads (or metastasizes).
Understanding That angiogenesis is essential to the technique of how tumors grow & metastasize, Medical Researchers began to inquire in to how Could They slow down, cease, or reduce angiogenesis. If They Could do this, They reckoned, Could They starve the tumor to death - or at least slow its growth significantly. The National Cancer Institute has created an Illustrated teaching gizmo to better understand how angiogenesis works.
Numerous Antiangiogenesis drugs, Also Called angiogenic inhibitors or angiogenesis inhibitors, have been developed. When administered to laboratory animals with tumors, They have the caused the tumors to shrink or even disappear. Endostatin, combrestatin, angiostatin, thrombospondin, & vascular endothelial growth inhibitor (Vegi) Among these are experimental drug.
Some of these drugs are now being tested on Humans. of Them, combrestatin, destroys the lining of blood vessels around tumors. Another, endostatin, acts by impeding the growth of new blood vessels around the tumors. For Some endostatin there's been promising developments. Harvard's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute released an updated document on Phase one trials of the angiogenic inhibitors & says it Exhibits virtually no toxicity even at high doses, while shrinking tumors in of 28 Advanced Cancer Patients & slowing disease progression in others for More Than three months.
This area of ��cancer research holds promise for the treatment of mesothelioma tumors, but it is very much in the early & experimental stages.
Mesothelioma Treatment Options - Treatments unconventional
Numerous mesothelioma treatments are outside the mainstream of both established & experimental therapies. As lawyers, not doctors, They Are not qualified to judge the worth of Such unconventional or unproven treatments. In our experience, most doctors disapprove of these treatments, & there is no clear, non-anecdotal proof of the success of any of these treatments. However, They think you have the right to all the information available so That you cans discuss all possibilities along with your physician & make an informed decision about your options.
one. Antineoplastons
Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski has been working on antineoplastons as a treatment for cancer since 1967. Antineoplastons the which are naturally occurring peptides Dr. Burzynski claims can "reprogram" cancerous cells to behave like "normal" cells again. The success of antineoplaston treatments has been highly controversial, however. The American Cancer Society reports That They have no reliable proof of the aim benefits of antineoplastons. Dr. Also Burzynski was charged in 1995 with fraud & violation of the Federal Drug Administration Regulations. The Burzynski Research Institute is currently conducting clinical trials of antineoplastons.
two. Cancell (Also Called Entelev or Cantron)
Cancell is a chemical mixture the which is intended to deprive cancerous cells of Their ability to get energy. Developed by chemist James Sheridan, proponents claim That Cancell has successfully treated people & animals for cancer for over 30 years without serious side effects. However, supporters of Cancell Also recommend avoiding perform definite vitamins & claim That chemotherapy negates the effects of Cancell. The National Cancer Institute has found no proof of a biological effect. The American Cancer Society strongly urges against using Cancell as a treatment technique.
two. Foreign Clinics
There's numerous Clinics, usually located outside of the United States, the which claim to make use of innovative & allegedly successful techniques to cure cancer. Most of these Clinics are pricey, & none of Them have proven to be effective.
five. Immuno-Augmentive Therapy (IAT) Centre, Freeport, Grand Bahama Island
Treatment at the IAT Centre consists of the every day administration of a specially-Prepared blood serum of the which is claimed to boost the immune technique & reverse the cancer technique.
Lawrence Burton (they has a Ph.D. Than an MD) developed the treatment & is its main advocate. It is disallowed in most of the United States, & the FDA imposed an import ban in 1986. In 1985 the clinic was closed by the Bahamian government due to proof of HIV, bacterial & hepatitis-B Contamination in IAT products. It was reopened the next year IAT Pls acquired HIV-testing equipment, but since the products are not tested regularly by an independent laboratory, the current risk of biological Contamination is not known.
The benefits of immuno-augmentative therapy Stay unverified, although there's numerous testimonials to its effectiveness. In fact, no independent clinical trials of the IAT's products has ever been performed, despite direct attempts by the NCI & the Office of Expertise Assessment. The American Cancer Society advises against immuno-augmentative therapy. In Addition to the significant treatment fees, Patients must pay for room & board.
five. American biologics-Mexico SA Medical Middle, Tijuana, Mexico
The first mesothelioma patient to be treated at this clinic was the actor, Steve McQueen. Since then, there's been anecdotal reports of the success of Their treatment, but no conclusive proof. Treatment consists of an "individualized approach" to "metabolic therapy", consisting of diet, vitamins, exercise, & other techniques. They claim to "control" the cancer & numerous other diseases Than "cure" Them. The AB-Mexico clinic is associated with the Bradford Research Institute.
6. Gerson Therapy: Middle for Integrative Medicine at Centro Hospitalario Internacional Pacifico (CHIPSA), & Hospital Meridian de Playas de Tijuana, Mexico
There's Clinics in Tijuana, Mexico, the which Provide treatment based on Gerson Therapy: The Middle for Integrative Medicine at Centro Hospitalario Internacional Pacifico (CHIPSA) & Hospital Meridian de Playas de Tijuana. The therapy was developed by Dr. Max Gerson in 1945, & his daughter, Charlotte Gerson Strauss, has continued the therapy since his death in 1959.
Using a diet (fresh, raw juices consumed continuously for 13 hours a day), enemas (including coffee enemas) & other therapies, the Gerson Therapy Clinics claim to detoxify the body & restore its natural cancer-fighting Abilities.
According to the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Gerson's methods were the resource persons reviewed & no convincing proof of effectiveness against the cancer was found. No other independent studies have found That Gerson Therapy is effective against cancer. Until 1989, the dietary technique included raw liver juice Calf, & the use of this juice was associated with infections due to Contamination installments. Also Coffee enemas have been associated with serious side effects Such as liquid & electrolyte abnormalities.
CHIPSA Gerson Therapy combines treatment with the methods devised by Dr. Josef Issels. They call it-Gerson Issels Combination Therapy.
7. Alivizatos Greek Cancer Cure
The Greek Cancer Cure was developed thirty years ago by a microbiologist, Dr. Hariton-Tzannis Alivizatos. His treatment consisted of a blood check the which supposedly diagnosed the location & extent of the cancer, followed by injections of a serum of the which were the resource persons meant to boost the immune technique & "dissolve" the tumor. Before his death in 1991, Dr. Alivizatos Had his license to practice medicine revoked by the Greek government installments times due to his use of the serum. They never responded to the National Cancer Institute & American Cancer Society's request for information on his treatment. They never published his results or allowed an independent review of his claims. When a Seattle doctor posing as a patient discovered That the serum was a mix of niacin (a B-vitamin) & water, his clinic was closed by the Greek government.