Mesothelioma Treatment Options
While traditional treatments like chemotherapy, surgery and radiation are effective, a lot of mesothelioma patients need an experimental alternative treatment method. These new treatments include virotherapy and gene therapy.
These treatments are most effective when paired with other options, such as chemotherapy and surgery. These treatments are available at mesothelioma specialist clinics as well as clinical trials.
Drugs for therapy with a specific target
There are many drugs that can treat mesothelioma. Some target cancer cells on a cellular level. They stop or slow down the growth, division and spread of cancer cells. Other medications help the immune system of the body fight mesothelioma. These drugs are referred to as immunotherapy.
Doctors often combine these treatments to create a multimodal plan of treatment for mesothelioma. pericardial mesothelioma treatment can include chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. They can also include targeted therapy drugs or photodynamic therapy. Some doctors use a type of radiation referred to as Tumor Treating Fields. This technique is able to control cancerous tumors and kills cancerous cells after surgery for patients with stage III-IV mesothelioma of the pleural.
Mesothelioma is a disease which has been studied for many years. The results are encouraging. In a recent study doctors discovered that adding the abemaciclib medication to chemotherapy helped improve survival for patients suffering from mesothelioma of the pleural. This mesothelioma treatment method works by blocking two enzymes that prevent cancer cells from dying.
A second objective of mesothelioma research is to better understand the immune system’s response to mesothelioma. Researchers are studying tissue samples from mesothelioma patients and healthy people. They are also studying mesothelioma cell lines that are being grown in labs. They are interested in knowing if there are specific elements or genes associated with mesothelioma growth and response to treatment.
Researchers are also working on ways to prevent mesothelioma cancer from recurring following treatment. They are currently testing a vaccine as well as other methods to increase a patient’s chance of remission.
A treatment for mesothelioma isn’t yet available. Researchers will still find a cure. Experts believe that with ongoing research and a new medical technology, mesothelioma sufferers will live longer and with greater comfort one day. Patients who are interested in participating in mesothelioma-related clinical trials can contact us for more information. We can connect you to an expert who can explain the benefits and risks of participating in a mesothelioma study. There are currently more than 200 mesothelioma trials open for all forms of asbestos exposure. We can assist you in finding mesothelioma research that is compatible with your location and other health factors.
Photodynamic therapy
Doctors are researching the possibility of a treatment for patients suffering from pleural msothelioma that may stop the growth of the cancer. It removes a amino acid that may help cancer cells grow, and stop them from responding to chemotherapy drugs. Researchers are studying a drug called ADI-PEG 20. It is a method of eliminating an amino acid known as arginatine from the cell. Research on mesothelioma is ongoing. This includes trials of immunotherapy and vaccines.
The mesothelioma vaccination trains the body’s immune system to recognize and attack tumors, similar to a flu vaccine. Studies have proven that this treatment is promising. Doctors are experimenting with different methods of delivering the vaccine through oral and intravenous methods. They also are testing different combinations of immunotherapy using the vaccines.
Immunotherapy is a mix of drugs to stimulate the immune system to eliminate mesothelioma cells and improve the outlook for patients. These experimental drugs consist of a mixture of cisplatin, doxorubicin and pemetrexed (Adriamycin Cisplatin [A/C]), as well as immunotherapies like pembrolizumab and nivolumab. In one study, patients with a biopsy-confirmed pleural mesothelioma and who received these treatments had an average survival of 21.4 months.
Other treatments for mesothelioma that are being investigated include photodynamic therapy and cellular therapy. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a drugsensitizer that is activated by light, and once exposed to oxygen it destroys unhealthy cells. The doctor shines a low-power red laser or blue light over the area of treatment. The doctor will insert an endoscope in the mouth of the patient if the tumor is located in the throat or airways. The doctor may also use PDT to treat squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC), actinic keratosis or basal-cell cancer (BCC).
Patients suffering from mesothelioma should consult a specialist for the best treatment. The experienced doctors are familiar with new mesothelioma therapies as well as clinical trials that could result in a cure. They also can assist patients with financial compensation. Mesothelioma specialists work with top mesothelioma centers and have access to cutting edge technology to test new mesothelioma treatment options. They can help you find a clinical trial that meets your unique requirements. To get started you can search for mesothelioma-related clinical trials by going to Cancer Research UK’s clinical trial database.
Radiotherapy
Mesothelioma is a challenging cancer. Researchers and doctors continue to find ways to improve the outcomes of patients and extend their life expectancy. They are using targeted therapy drugs and immune treatments to help the body fight mesothelioma.
A new method of mesothelioma treatment includes surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. The SMART treatment could give patients with pleural or pericardial pericardial cancer more hope.
Doctors integrate the SMART protocol along with other mesothelioma treatments to ensure patients receive the best possible results. This includes the latest mesothelioma treatments, such as photodynamic therapy and cryotherapy. These treatments reduce the size of tumors as well as improve mesothelioma symptoms.
A newer treatment for mesothelioma utilizes a type of radiotherapy called proton beam radiation. It delivers high-energy particles directly to mesothelioma cell. The aim is to kill mesothelioma cancer cells and shrink the size of tumors to enhance the quality of life.
Radiation therapy can also be added to other mesothelioma treatments to minimize side effects, such as chest pain. This new mesothelioma therapy strategy, sometimes called IMRT (internal radiation therapy) has been utilized for a long time to treat various types of cancers and is regarded as an advanced treatment option.
Immunotherapy is yet another mesothelioma therapy that has improved outcomes for patients. The new mesothelioma medication assists the body’s immune system recognize and attack mesothelioma cells more efficiently. Certain immunotherapy drugs also boost the immune system even if other mesothelioma treatments don’t work.
Combining mesothelioma treatment options reduces the likelihood of recurrence and has higher survival rates than conventional treatments alone. For instance using radiation and surgery for mesothelioma stops cancerous cells from forming in the area in which the surgery was performed.
Pleurectomy/decortication and extrapleural pneumonectomy are the most frequently performed procedures used to treat pleural melanoma. EPP removes lung linings, whereas P/D also removes lymph nodes, which are a part of the diaphragm, as well as the pericardium.
Doctors are also testing out new mesothelioma treatment methods, such as TTFields or hyperthermic intraperitoneal therapy. These mesothelioma treatment options are part of a multimodal strategy, which combines the most effective mesothelioma standard treatments.
Immunotherapy
Mesothelioma Immunotherapy is a new treatment that can help patients live longer. Doctors combine immunotherapy with traditional treatments to treat cancer and improve outcomes for patients.
Doctors are also looking at new ways to utilize chemotherapy drugs, the backbones of mesothelioma treatment. One approach involves a drug known as Plemomycin (Pemetrexed) to boost the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs such as Cisplatin. A recent study showed that pemetrexed added to cisplatin improved mesothelioma survival.
Another method to enhance chemotherapy is using a drug called taladine. The medication is injected into a bloodstream of the patient and then transferred to mesothelioma cells. It degrades the cells and releases chemical that fight cancer in the body. Taladine also reduces the amount of toxic chemotherapy drugs that enter bloodstreams and affect other organs.
Researchers are looking at ways to improve the diagnosis of mesothelioma by studying genetic mutations. These mutations make the cancer more resistant to treatment. Experts in mesothelioma have created a drug that targets the gene BAP1. The drug is currently in clinical trials, and it may help patients respond more effectively to standard mesothelioma treatment that includes chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy for the liver.
Vaccines could be another source of hope for mesothelioma patients. There are a variety of mesothelioma-specific vaccines in the works. Targovax, an Norwegian biotech company has created a mesothelioma vaccine called ONCOS-102. Other companies are experimenting with listeria-based vaccines for mesothelioma.
Scientists are also looking at immunotherapy to treat a new mesothelioma form known as mesothelioma peritoneal. This type of cancer affects the lining of the chest and abdomen. The vaccines and other immunotherapy methods in these studies are aimed at increasing the number of mesothelioma-fighting cells.
The new mesothelioma treatment advances of 2023 provide the possibility that this cancer could be more treatable in the future. It is essential that mesothelioma patients locate a mesothelioma specialist with experience. The specialist can assist you in determining which treatment is right for you.
If you have mesothelioma, you should consult your doctor about taking part in a mesothelioma clinical trial. The best mesothelioma centers have access to all latest developments and can recommend you the most effective treatment plan.
