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- Mesothelin Finding Could Lead to Early Detection of Mesothelioma
- New York Attorney Calls for International Ban on Mesothelioma-Causing Asbestos
- Protein Can be Reliable for Diagnosing Malignant Mesothelioma
- Biomarker Successes Remain Elusive For Mesothelioma and Cancer Researchers
- Avastin May Not be Effective for Breast Cancer, But is Still an Option for Mesothelioma
- Options for Funding Mesothelioma Research
- Golf Outing to Raise Funds for Mesothelioma Research
- 3 Year Mesothelioma Survivor Stays Busy Raising Awareness of the Disease
- MesotheliomaHelp Website Offers Mesothelioma-Related FAQs
- CDMRP System Offers Funding Opportunity to Help Military Mesothelioma Sufferers
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Southwest Oncology Group and the National Cancer Institute are finalizing the Phase I/Randomized Phase II clinical trial “Pemetrexed Disodium and Cisplatin With or Without Cediranib Maleate in Treating Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.” The trial studied the side effects and best dose of cediranib maleate when given together with pemetrexed disodium and cisplatin.
Cediranib is a vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor for the treatment of cancer. The medicine binds to and inhibits all three vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF-1,-2,-3) tyrosine kinases, thereby blocking VEGF-signaling, angiogenesis, and tumor cell growth.
The rationale for the trial states that cediranib maleate may stop the growth of mesothelioma tumor cells by blocking some of the enzymes needed for cell growth and by blocking blood flow to the tumor. The researchers hope that by giving pemetrexed disodium and cisplatin together with cediranib maleate more tumor cells will be killed.
Often called “asbestos cancer,” mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many standard cancer treatments. Currently there is no known cure for mesothelioma, and the average survival time varies from 4 – 18 months after diagnosis.
This study is not yet open for participant recruitment.
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Labels: Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:06 AM
Friday, April 2, 2010
ImClone Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company, has awarded a $3.5 million grant to the University of Colorado Cancer Center. The award will be used to fund a clinical trial to test for a specific biomarker in lung cancer patients known as an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Other researchers have found that in many cases growth factors appeared higher in malignant mesothelioma patients than in control subjects or in healthy individuals.
Mesothelioma, an unusual form of cancer which can take up to five decades to be properly diagnosed, is responsible for approximately 3,000 new cases each year in the United States. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.
Biologic characteristics are different for each patient, and by identifying the markers specific to a patient and his tumor, physicians will be able to move to personalized medicine. This can provide mesothelioma and lung cancer patients with treatment targeted specifically to their medical needs and could eventually make chemotherapy more effective for specific types of cancer patients.
In December the University also received a Stand Up to Cancer Innovative Research Grant of $750,000 over three years for a “high-risk, high-reward research project — high-risk because it challenges the way cancer science is currently being done, and high-reward because of its potential for saving lives.”
See Cancer Center Awarded Grant for the full story.
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Labels: Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Monday, March 29, 2010
Bionomics, an Australian drug company focused on new treatments for cancer and serious disorders of the central nervous system, has announced they will initiate a phase II trial of BNC105 as second line chemotherapy for advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Bionomics has already commenced Phase II testing of the anti-cancer properties of BNC105 in renal cancer in the United States.
Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until up to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments.
Dr. Anna Nowak, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Australia and the trial’s Principal Investigator, said that an early clinical trial of BNC105 showed some promise in mesothelioma. She adds that “this Phase II trial will provide hope and an opportunity to participate in a research study for people with mesothelioma who do not have other options for treatment.”
The study plans to test 60 patients at 12 centers in Australia. The trial is being conducted by Australasian Lung Cancer Trials Group and NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre.
The primary objective is to determine the tumor response rate. Secondary endpoints include progression free survival, quality of life, overall survival and treatment duration. Bionomics anticipates reporting interim results of this study in mesothelioma patients early in 2011.
BNC105 Clinical Trial - Phase II
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Labels: Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
A study led by Dr. David Sugarbaker, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a mesothelioma specialist, is exploring whether Cisplatin can be used safely in combination with another anti-cancer drug, Gemcitabine to treat mesothelioma patients. Specifically the team is testing the effectiveness of using a combination of the chemotherapy drugs after removal of cancerous tumors.
Mesothelioma, an unusual form of cancer which is closely linked to inhaling asbestos fibers, is responsible for approximately 3,000 new cases each year in the United States. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.
While not all mesothelioma patients are candidates for surgery it remains the optimal procedure for reducing the presence of malignant mesothelioma tumors to the microscopic level. Once the visible tumors are removed, doctors then use chemotherapy drugs to stop the cancer cells from growing and spreading.
The two drugs are often used together to treat chemotherapy, called GemCisplat treatment, but as part of this study, the chest cavities of the patients are bathed in the drugs for one hour after tumors are removed. The drugs are warmed to a temperature of 107 degrees.
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston are recruiting patients with malignant mesothelioma for the study.
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Labels: Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 9:33 AM
Monday, March 22, 2010
Attorney Joseph W. Belluck applauded news that an investigational vaccine created by researchers in the Netherlands may be able to use matter from mesothelioma tumors to provoke the immune system into generating antibodies to fight the mesothelioma cells. This vaccine has proven to be safe in studies to date.
Belluck, of Belluck & Fox, a New York law firm that advocates for victims of the asbestos-related disease mesothelioma, welcomes rare good news in efforts to cure the cancer also referred to as asbestos cancer.
Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until up to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos. However, after symptoms become apparent, mesothelioma may rapidly progress to cause life-threatening complications.
The findings could lead to a vaccine that would protect people at risk from getting mesothelioma. Belluck believes this development is great news for those battling mesothelioma. “We have seen the toll of this disease and share the desire of its victims and their families to see it defeated,” said Belluck.
One of the researchers, Dr. Joachim Aerts, a pulmonary physician at Erasmus Medical Center, was quoted by Business Week as saying, “We hope that by further development of our method it will be possible to increase survival in patients with mesothelioma and eventually vaccinate persons who have been in contact with asbestos to prevent them from getting asbestos-related diseases.”
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Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Dr. Stefan Marciniak of the University of Cambridge has been awarded funding for a project to study the relationship between cell stress and mesothelioma. The funding is provided by the British Lung Foundation and the June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund.
Marciniak and his colleagues have been studying endoplasmic reticulum (ER) dysfunction and the role it plays in many human diseases, including diabetes and cancer. It is critical for him and his researchers to understand the biological processes it provokes, and through this project he hopes to gain a better understanding of why mesothelioma progresses as it does.
Mesothelioma is a rare, aggressive cancer primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. Symptoms of mesothelioma may not appear until up to 50 years after initial exposure to asbestos. However, after symptoms become apparent, mesothelioma often rapidly progresses resulting in life-threatening complications.
The study will look at proteins produced by ER. Marciniak has shown that when ER proteins accumulate the cell is said to experience “ER stress,” which is increased in mesothelioma cells. The researchers hope to assess whether the amount of ER stress on cells can predict the speed at which mesothelioma develops. This will in turn help determine the success of mesothelioma treatments including chemotherapy.
Upon receiving the grant Dr. Stefan Marciniak said,”I hope to be able to take my findings out of the laboratory to improve the treatments available to my patients in the future.” Mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many standard cancer treatments. Currently there is no known cure for mesothelioma.
© MesotheliomaHelp.Net. All Rights Reserved. Reprinting or republication of this article or any portion of its content is permitted but must include the MesotheliomaHelp.Net link.
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Results from a new study indicate that an RNA molecule found in cancerous tissue may be useful in predicting a mesothelioma patient’s chances for survival after surgery. The researchers reported in Cancer Research that the presence of even one specific microRNA has significant predictive value for determining the course that mesothelioma will take after surgery.
Mesothelioma, an unusual form of cancer caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, often has a complex growth pattern making complete surgical removal a difficult task. The goal of the surgery is to achieve a macroscopically-complete resection, which refers to the removal of all visible tumor cells. This type of test will give doctors another tool to identify post-surgical treatment for patients including chemotherapy or radiation.
MicroRNAs play a key role in biological processes, such as development, cell proliferation and apoptosis (the process of cell death). Thus, altered microRNA is likely to contribute to cancer and other diseases. MicroRNAs have been used as prognostic markers for numerous forms of cancer and as biomarkers to pinpoint the tissue where cancer originated. But few studies have explored the role of microRNAs in malignant pleural mesothelioma.
“Mesothelioma is a terrible disease, and this specific microRNA may help doctors and clinicians give patients and their families a more accurate prognosis of the disease and how post-surgical patients will likely respond,” said attorney Joseph W. Belluck. “It’s an important step in understanding and combating this disease.”
Belluck, a partner in the law firm Belluck & Fox, said the research represented a potential breakthrough in helping guide treatment of mesothelioma patients.
The research was supported in part by philanthropic grants from the law firm of Belluck & Fox, LLP in New York and the Stephen Banner Lung Cancer Foundation.
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Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 7:48 AM
Monday, March 8, 2010
Reasearchers in the Netherlands, using a special type of cell known as a dendritic cell that is a key regulator in the immune system, have created an immunotherapy treatment against mesothelioma. They hope the research will one day lead to a vaccine for people who have been exposed to asbestos to help prevent asbestos-related diseases.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer typically affecting the lining of the lungs. Primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 30 years or more after exposure. The latency period can be as long as 50 years.
Immunotherapy uses the body’s own immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. The aim of immunotherapy is to harness the strength of the immune system in a specifically focused attack on cancer cells, while avoiding the broader toxic effects of chemotherapy.
The researchers tested the vaccine on 10 patients achieving 80 percent effectiveness. The results generated an immune T-cell response against the mesothelioma tumors. T-cells assist other white blood cells in immunologic processes. Treatment is a series of three vaccinations given over a two week period after receiving chemotherapy.
“This is the first human study on dendritic cell-based immunotherapy in patients with mesothelioma,” said Dr. Joachim Aerts, a pulmonary physician at Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands and lead author of a study published online in the American Thoracic Society’s Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
While the size of the study was small, the researchers said the results suggest that selected patients may benefit from dendritic cell immunotherapy without major adverse effects.
© MesotheliomaHelp.Net. All Rights Reserved. Reprinting or republication of this article or any portion of its content is permitted but must include the MesotheliomaHelp.Net link.
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 7:20 AM
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Novartis Pharmaceuticals is conducting a Phase I clinical trial on one of its newly developed cancer drugs currently referred to as LDE 225. Developed to inhibit hedgehog- and smoothened-dependent proliferation in vivo (in live isolated cells), it targets patients with advanced solid tumors. One of the expected 58 trial participants, being treated at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, has inoperable mesothelioma.
With this drug the reasearchers are trying to cut off the protein, the hedgehog pathway in this case, resulting in increased apoptosis (death of the cancer cells) and decreased proliferation in the cancer cells, thus prohibiting the cells from growing and dividing.
The mesothelioma patient is a 61 year-old male from Derbyshire, England, who had been exposed to asbestos as a joiner. He could not tolerate the chemotherapy treatments, and after only 4 months he had to stop the treatments. His doctors then told him there was nothing else they could do for him.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer typically affecting the lining of the lungs. Primarily caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, most cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed 30 years or more after exposure. While there is no known cure for mesothelioma, it can sometimes be treated through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.
The participant criteria for this trial is for patients with a confirmed diagnosis of advanced solid tumor (including medulloblastoma and basal cell carcinoma), who are relatively healthy otherwise. The trials are being conducted internationally including sites in the United States, Spain, and England.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in New Jersey, has a mission to discover and develop innovative medicines to fight cancer.
Sources:
Novartis LDE 225
LDE 225 Clinical Trial
Meso Patient in Trial
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Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Friday, February 5, 2010
In contrast to previous findings, French researchers are reporting that the incidence of pleural mesothelioma among French men has begun a slight downward trend. For women, however, the incidence of mesothelioma has shown a significant increase. The findings covered data from 1980 to 2005, and were reported in the International Journal of Cancer.
Pleural mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer that is almost always caused by asbestos exposure and is most commonly found in the outer lining of the lungs called the mesothelium. Although there is no cure for mesothelioma, it can be treated with varying degrees of success through the use of surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation.
The last predictions of the incidence of mesothelioma and pleural cancers in France were conducted in 2000. At that time estimates were given that the mortality rate would peak in 2020 with 900 annual deaths. The number of cases of mesothelioma and other pleural cancers continued to increase 3.1% year over year until 2000.
The new study reviewed data through 2005 gathered from two sources: the French network of cancer registries (FRANCIM) comprised of medical data from local cancer registries from the 100 districts in France, and the French National Mesothelioma Surveillance Program (PNSM), established in 1998. Prior to the inclusion of data in the FRANCIM database, experts confirm a mesothelioma diagnosis.
The total number of pleural cancers represented in the data totaled 1,457 diagnoses from 1980-2003. 1,147 of the cases were in the male population, while 310 or 21% of the cases affected women. When looking closer at the female population the incidence of total mesothelioma cases increased from 80 cases in 1980, to 170 in 1995, and to 264 in 2005.
Researchers concluded that the likely explanation for the increase in mesothelioma reported among French women is due to their under diagnosis in the 1980-1997 period. The rise in the proportion of mesothelioma incidence rate of pleural cancers went from 48% in 1980-1985 to 86% in 1998-2003. The latest period shows a proportion identical with that in men during the same time period suggesting that pleural mesotheliomas in women were under diagnosed before 1997, probably as the result of a secondary pleural cancer diagnosis.
The researchers attribute the asbestos regulations imposed across the country beginning in 1977 to the decrease shown in mesothelioma among men. The primary cause of mesothelioma among French men is associated with occupational asbestos exposure. The latency period can be as long as 50 years, however, researchers used a 30-year average latency period for their study.
© MesotheliomaHelp.Net. All Rights Reserved. Reprinting or republication of this article or any portion of its content is permitted but must include the MesotheliomaHelp.Net link.
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Monday, February 1, 2010
The University of Hawaii’s Cancer Reseach Center which receives about $1.5 million annually as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated Cancer Center will be re-evaluated by NCI next week to determine whether it will maintain its status. Dr. Michele Carbone, Cancer Research Center director, is an authority on malignant mesothelioma and has studied the impact of genetics, environmental carcinogens and viral infections on mesothelioma development.
Mesothelioma is a serious cancer that occurs in individuals exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. Even small amounts of asbestos and infrequent exposure can create a risk for contracting mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments. Currently there is no known cure for the disease.
Carbone indicates that the designation was in jeopardy when he took over as director in September 2009, but since then the staff has addressed some of the NCI concerns. The Hawaii Cancer Center has started to design a new research center, established a consortium with other Hawaiian cancer research centers, and filled vacant positions. All of these steps should be looked upon favorably by the representatives from NCI.
Dr. Carbone has received more than half of all federal funding for mesothelioma and approximately 90 percent of the National Cancer Institute’s funding allocated for mesothelioma research.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Cancer Centers are recognized for their scientific excellence. They are a major source of discovery and development of more effective approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. All NCI-designated Cancer Centers receive substantial financial support from NCI grants and are re-evaluated each time their support grant comes up for renewal.
Sources:
NCI Visit
Mesothelioma Researcher at Hawaii
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Friday, January 29, 2010
Mayo Clinic, the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world, announced it raised $1.35 billion in its first comprehensive fundraising campaign, and achieved this milestone in only 5 years. One area that will benefit from the funds is the research into the use of the measles virus to treat mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a serious cancer that occurs in individuals exposed to airborne asbestos fibers. Even small amounts of asbestos and infrequent exposure can create a risk for contracting mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. Mesothelioma is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments. Currently there is no known cure for the disease.
The Mayo Clinic Schulze Center for Novel Therapeutics, a virtual three-site center that “is translating laboratory findings into vanguard methods to treat cancer,” was established in 2007 with a gift from The Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation. Richard M. Schulze is the founder and chairman of Best Buy, and his wife Sandra Schulze died in 2001 of mesothelioma.
Schulze hopes that at the center “some cancers will be cured and that Mayo’s talented scientists and physicians will find a way. “
Source:
Mayo Clinic Campaign
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Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 7:57 AM
Friday, January 1, 2010
As 2010 begins it’s time to look back at some of the successes and advances made in 2009 towards mesothelioma research and treatment. Mesothelioma, an unusual form of cancer which can take up to five decades to be properly diagnosed, is responsible for approximately 3,000 new cases each year in the United States. Currently, there is no known cure for mesothelioma.
However, progress was made in 2009, and here are the 2009 news stories from Mesotheliomahelp.net showing the steps made towards improving the lives of mesothelioma patients.
New Diagnostic Test for Mesothelioma
Dynamic Imaging Improves Patient Outcomes in Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer Treatment
Mesothelioma Tissue Banks Offer Researchers a Place to Turn for Pathology Data and Tissue Samples
$2.25 Million Awarded in Mesothelioma Death
U.S. and China Companies Join Forces in Manufacturing Drug for Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma
Wake Forest School of Medicine and FirstHealth of the Carolinas Partner for Mesothelioma Study
Texas Cancer Center Offers Hope to Mesothelioma Patients
Earlier Detection of Mesothelioma Possible from Telltale Protein, Researchers Say
Happy 2010, and here’s to reading about more breakthroughs in mesothelioma treatments in the coming year.
© MesotheliomaHelp.Net. All Rights Reserved. Reprinting or republication of this article or any portion of its content is permitted but must include the MesotheliomaHelp.Net link.
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Monday, December 28, 2009
With a goal to “reward scientific excellence and to encourage innovative investigations in the field of lung cancer prevention research” the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) is accepting applications for Fellowships and Young Investigator awards until January 10, 2010.
The awards are supported through educational grants from GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, AstraZeneca, Celgene, Pfizer, Eli Lilly, and OSI. Eli Lilly is the maker of Alimta which is used in the treatment of malignant mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos exposure, can affect the lining of the lungs known as pleural mesothelioma, or the lining of the abdomen resulting in peritoneal mesothelioma. In rare instances, the lining of the heart can be affected resulting in pericardial mesothelioma.
A decision on applications will be reached by March 2010.
© MesotheliomaHelp.Net. All Rights Reserved. Reprinting or republication of this article or any portion of its content is permitted but must include the MesotheliomaHelp.Net link.
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Sanofi-Aventis, a global drug manufacturer, has given a $2 million gift to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in recognition of the center’s strong research. UNC Lineberger is the only public comprehensive cancer center in North Carolina, and works towards their mission to reduce cancer occurrence and death in North Carolina and across the nation.
The hospital plans to use the money for clinical research and programs for patients. A committee will ultimately determine the final use for the money, but the hope is that it will fund new research for therapies not currently funded with Federal grant dollars.
Sanofi-Aventis sees the donation as a way to partner with a research institution for research and development of new cancer treatments. Ideally the company will develop new cancer drugs based on discoveries made by the team at UNC. Sanofi is the maker of Taxotere, a chemotherapy drug for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer treatment.
Taxotere is also used for the treatment of breast, prostate, gastric, and head and neck cancers. While it is often used in conjunction with cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug used for malignant mesothelioma, the two drugs are not indicated for use with mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers, affects close to 3,000 Americans each year. The disease is often in an advanced stage at diagnosis leaving patients with a survival rate often less than a year. Currently, there is no known cure for mesothelioma.
The Thoracic Oncology program at the hospital, treats patients with mesothelioma, non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, and esophageal cancer where the physicians take an individualized care approach for patients. Specialists from pulmonary medicine, surgery, medical and radiation oncology, pathology, and oncology nursing are included on a single team to best treat the patient.
© MesotheliomaHelp.Net. All Rights Reserved. Reprinting or republication of this article or any portion of its content is permitted but must include the MesotheliomaHelp.Net link.
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) announced today that several million dollars in grants has been awarded by the DoD for three mesothelioma research projects. The awards are in response to a 2007 directive from the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee for DoD to fund mesothelioma research through its Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMP).
The funded projects include:
- Harvey Pass, M.D., co-author of “100 Questions and Answers About Mesothelioma,” and Margaret E. Huflejt, PhD. will investigate new markers for early detection of mesothelioma, and identify new therapeutic targets.
- Lee Krug, M.D. will lead a multi-site clinical trial of a new therapy based on the WT-1 vaccine.
MARF has been a staunch advocate for mesothelioma victims that Congress direct the DoD to include funding to promote research on diseases related to military service. Asbestos exposure, the primary known cause for mesothelioma, is a known hazard for sailors working on Navy ships. MARF estimates that one third of those who currently die from mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos on U.S Navy ships.
MARF representatives have met with elected government officials at the Foundation’s annual Washington, D.C. Advocacy Day, testified at hearings, distributed educational materials, and have sent countless emails and letters.
MARF is a national non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for mesothelioma “by funding mesothelioma research, educating and supporting mesothelioma patients, and advocating for a national commitment to end the mesothelioma tragedy.”
© MesotheliomaHelp.Net. All Rights Reserved. Reprinting or republication of this article or any portion of its content is permitted but must include the MesotheliomaHelp.Net link.
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 2:00 PM
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Started in 2006 as a pilot project, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) was launched by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), both part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) “to accelerate our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer through the application of genome analysis technologies.”
Scientists were able to develop genome characteristics for glioblastoma, the most common brain cancer in adults. Based on this, and other successes of the project, President Obama provided funding to expand the project for five more years to study 20 types of cancer. The goal of the project is to improve the ability to diagnose, treat and prevent cancer.
In the past, scientists have indicated that differentiation of tumors found in the lung can be challenging, specifically differentiation of mesothelioma and lung adenocarcinoma. Understanding tumors at the genetic level “could help determine the kind of radiation and chemotherapy treatments a lung cancer patient would best respond to,” said Dr. Albert Rizzo, a Newark pulmonologist.
The public can assist with this project by offering to donate tissue. In addition, bring the program to the attention of health care providers. The NIH encourages spreading the word for others to understand the importance of this information in helping to revolutionize cancer care.
Sources:
National Cancer Institute
Delaware Online
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Labels: Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 2:00 PM
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The American Association for Cancer Research and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer are joining forces to sponsor the conference “Molecular Origins of Lung Cancer: Prospects for Personalized Prevention and Therapy.” The conference will be held January 11-14, 2010, at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort in Coronado, California.
The program will focus on the latest in lung cancer research and will feature many speakers from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center known throughout the world for their initiatives in the research and treatment of mesothelioma and their focus on personalized medicine.
Steven M. Albelda, M.D, William Maul Measey Professor of Medicine, Vice Chief, Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Division Director of Lung Research,Co-Director, Thoracic Oncology Laboratories at University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, whose research focuses on the design of new treatment strategies for lung cancer and mesothelioma will present a session entitled: “Personalizing novel mesothelioma treatments by analyzing interferon response pathways.”
Additional sessions offered include topics covering:
• Early Detection and Prevention
• Drug Design and New Targets
• Cancer Stem Cells
• Genome-wide Approaches to Risk
• Tumor Profiling
• Lung Biomarkers
• Plus a special session on Advocacy, Regulatory, and Funding Issues
© MesotheliomaHelp.Net. All Rights Reserved. Reprinting or republication of this article or any portion of its content is permitted but must include the MesotheliomaHelp.Net link.
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 2:00 PM
Monday, November 30, 2009
A researcher at Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan has received a $1.3 million grant from the NIH to study how tumors develop a resistance to chemotherapy. Initially, the research will focus on colon cancer.
Researchers hope that the result of the study will lead to the development of additional screening and treatment methods for other cancers as well. Dr. MacKeigan, the grant recipient, says “if the tumors are resistant to chemotherapy, the cancer is more likely to survive long enough to spread and become more deadly.”
During the five-year study Dr. MacKeigan will assess how various enzymes contribute to determining whether tumor cells will survive during chemotherapy treatment.
Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Van Andel Research Institute is the research arm of VAI and is “dedicated to probing the genetic, cellular and molecular origins of cancer, Parkinson and other diseases and working to translate those findings into effective therapies.”
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Labels: Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:55 AM
Thursday, November 26, 2009
The American Thoracic Society (ATS) is a non-profit “medical association dedicated to advancing our clinical and scientific understanding of pulmonary diseases, critical illnesses and sleep-related breathing disorders.” The mission of the ATS is achieved through research, education, patient care and advocacy.
One of their primary goals is the education of the medical community as well as the general public. Their website contains a vast amount of information pertinent to patients, caregivers and others seeking respiratory information.
The brochures offered to the public contain information presented in clear, straightforward language covering both scientific and medical terms. Specifically, their patient education topics include general fact sheets on lung diseases as well as literature covering asbestos-related diseases, COPD, child care, and critical care.
With over 15,000 world-wide members and an annual operating budget of $25 million, ATS supports programs in the United States and around the globe to secure funds for basic and clinical research, establish TB and tobacco control policies, support the Clean Air Act, and to lobby for appropriate Medicare reimbursements for physicians.
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 8:00 AM
Monday, November 9, 2009
Duke University Hospital held a groundbreaking ceremony on November 6, for Duke Medicine’s new comprehensive Cancer Center. The cancer center will address the steep increases seen in new cancer rates, and it will also “facilitate a never-before-seen synergy among one of the most talented oncology faculties in the country.”
Each year Duke physicians and staff treat thousands of cancer patients with many days seeing more than 100 patients receiving chemotherapy treatments at the Morris Cancer Clinic. In addition, close to 700 cancer-related clinical research studies are being conducted at Duke.
The North Carolina Department of Health projects a 14 percent growth in new cancer cases in the state between 2006 and 2011, and a 21 percent growth in the Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area of North Carolina) alone. William J. Fulkerson Jr., M.D., senior vice president for clinical affairs at Duke says that in response to the growth “we are compelled to create a space in which we can optimize the ability of our faculty and staff to fight these diseases.”
The center will provide important learning experiences for residents and fellows and has been designed to improve the patients’ experience of cancer treatment. The new Cancer Center is to create a “healing environment that would benefit not only the patients coming here for treatment, but our employees, too,” said Kevin Sowers, MSN, RN, FAAN, Duke University Hospital CEO.
The facility is scheduled to open in 2012.
Labels: Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 7:20 AM
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
In September the National Institutes of Health announced the winners of their awards designated to encourage high-risk research and innovation. They have awarded $348 million to “encourage investigators to explore bold ideas that have the potential to catapult fields forward and speed the translation of research into improved health.”
The awards fall under three research programs supported by the NIH Common Fund’s Roadmap for Medical Research. The NIH Director’s Transformative R01 (T-R01) Awards – new in 2009, Pioneer Awards, and New Innovator Awards, are funded through the 2006 NIH Reform Act which emphasizes innovation and risk taking, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
One of the T-RO1 winners, Sanford Markowitz, MD, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, is undertaking research for “identifying inborn genetic susceptibility to development of cancer metastasis.” Most deaths from cancer are a result of metastasis, and Markowitz is setting out to determine why some people are resistant to the spread, while others have an inborn genetic predisposition to the spread of the disease.
Markowitz believes the results of this study will “be felt in the identification of entirely new biological pathways that will be key to cancer management, to cancer prognosis, and to developing new and more effective anti-cancer therapies.”
The researchers are given the flexibility to work in large, complex teams if the complexity of the research problem demands it. The projects are funded over a five year period.
For a listing of all 2009 Transformative R01 Award Recipients see the NIH website.
Labels: cancer, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 9:43 AM
Friday, October 9, 2009
The FirstHealth of the Carolinas, a private, not-for-profit health care network serving the mid-Carolinas, Clinical Trials Department has partnered with the Wake Forest School of Medicine to promote participation in a research study investigating the development and progression of asbestos-related lung diseases and cancers. The study is requesting participants that have been diagnosed with mesothelioma to contact FirstHealth Clinical Trials.
Dr. Jill Ohar of Wake Forest University who has been researching mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer, for more than 20 years, is the study’s principal investigator. Dr. Ohar has found during her research “that there is a strong tendency for mesothelioma to run in families and it tends to be associated with a family history of cancer, which suggests a genetic susceptibility.”
The current study is being conducted to examine the associated environmental factors and genetic markers of people diagnosed with mesothelioma. Specifically the research will attempt to identify how frequently encountered environmental pollutants affect the body and determine the genetic factors that make some families more susceptible than others to mesothelioma and other forms of cancer.
See FirstHealth for more information.
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 9:34 AM
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
University of Minnesota researchers are satisfied with the number of Iron Range workers and family members participating in their study. Researchers are trying to determine why 58 Iron Range mine workers died from mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. There is no known asbestos in the taconite mine.
The University sent over 500 letters requesting participation in which the participants will have a health screening including chest x-rays, blood tests and other health exams to assess whether they are at risk for mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diseases. To date they have tested close to 200 with more scheduled.
Researchers hope to test the respiratory health of close to 1,000 miners or their spouses within the next year.
For additional information, or to participate in the study, call the University of Minnesota at (888) 840-7590.
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 4:56 PM
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Mark Twain popularized the saying about the three kinds of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics.
The statistics frequently cited to criticize progress in the war on cancer mask the significant progress that has been made on that front, Wall Street Journal columnist Carl Bialik notes in a recent article. Overall mortality rates — showing little change in cancer death rates since the 1950s — conceal promising trends in recent decades, Bialik writes.
In the last few years, cancer mortality rates have begun to decline from the overall peaks of the 1990s. Cancer victims are dying at older ages, meaning more years of their lives are preserved, Bialik writes. And individuals born since 1925 have had lower cancer mortality rates at every age compared with individuals born before that year, reflecting reductions in smoking and medical advances in early detection of cancer.
Case in point: A recent Oxford University study identifying a signature protein in fluid around the lungs associated with mesothelioma may allow doctors to diagnose the asbestos-related cancer at an earlier stage and improve patients prognosis, the researchers say.
Progress among younger cancer patients has been particularly notable. Cancer mortality rates for Americans in their 40s born between 1955 and 1964 declined by 35 percent compared to Americans at the same age born three decades earlier.
Labels: Research News
posted by Wade Rawlins at 12:01 PM
Friday, September 4, 2009
Researchers at Oxford University say they have developed a test that may allow earlier detection of mesothelioma in patients, giving doctors valuable time to treat the rare asbestos-related cancer.
Dr. Helen Davies, who worked on the research, told the British Broadcasting Corp. that the research suggested a way for physicians to more readily identify mesothelioma from the start. “An earlier diagnosis … allows speedier interventions to relieve symptoms as well as initiation of other treatments such as chemotherapty or radiotherapy if appropriate,” Davies said.
According to an article published in the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine, the test analyzes levels of a protein closely linked to mesothlelioma that is found in fluid around the lungs. A number of conditions may cause excess fluid in the lining of the lungs. But nine out of 10 people with mesothelioma suffer from the condition which cause difficult breathing and chest pain.
Researchers looked at levels of the protein meothelin which is released in high qualities in the pleural fluid of most mesothelioma patients. They found that levels of the protein were almost six times higher in patients with mesothelioma than in patients with lung cancer that had spread from other parts of the body, and 10 times greater than those with benign condictions, making it a useful indicator protein of the presence of mesothelioma.
Labels: Research News
posted by Wade Rawlins at 3:54 PM
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Researchers at Oxford University announced that they have developed an improved diagnostic test for early detection of malignant mesothelioma. Mesothelioma, an incurable cancer caused by asbestos exposure and affecting the lungs, is often difficult to diagnose and to distinguish from lung cancer.
Using a more sensitive pleural fluid cytology test to evaluate the fluid that builds up around the lungs, researchers determined that a protein known as meothelin is higher in mesothelioma patients than in those with other diseases. Mesothelioma patients had up to a 10 times higher concentration of the protein than did patients with other conditions.
Mesothelioma is typically diagnosed when the patient is in the late stages of the illness resulting in a survival time of 4 – 12 months. The anticipation is that this test will limit invasive diagnostic tests and will increase patient survival time once mesothelioma is diagnosed.
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 2:04 PM
Friday, August 7, 2009
Once thought to be a promising treatment in fighting cancers such as prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, and mesothelioma — the asbestos related lung cancer, thalidomide has proven not to be effective for small cell lung cancer, reports Science Daily.
Even though thalidomide is as an anti-angiogenic drug (targeting the formation of new blood vessels which are needed by tumors to survive and to grow), and has been effective in treating other cancers, it does not improve the survival rate of lung cancer patients. It does, however, increase their risk of blood clots.
Dr. Siow Ming Lee, M.D. of the Department of Oncology, University of London, found, when combined with chemotherapy, thalidomide had made no difference in the survival of patients with small cell lung cancers. SCLC makes up about 15-20 percent of lung cancer patients. Dr. Lee concluded that targeting anti-angiogenesis in SCLC may not work as well as in multiple myeloma or colorectal cancer because of differences in the angiogenic pathways involved in SCLC.
Thalidomide was once banned because it caused severe birth defects.
Thalidomide Treatment for Mesothelioma
Labels: Research News
posted by Your Attorney at 4:29 PM
Research funded by the June Hancock Mesothelioma Trust Fund has discovered a potential treatment for the deadly cancer, reports a website run by the Yorkshire (England) Evening Post.
The research, being done by the Department of Oncology at Velindre Hospital in Cardiff, England, has found a molecule associated with mesothelioma. With further research, it is hoped there will be a vaccination for patients to boost their immune system in order to attack the tumor.
June Hancock lived in the area of the JWRoberts asbestos factory in Armley, England. She, along with hundreds of others who worked or lived near the factory, was diagnosed with mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is an incurable asbestos-linked cancer of the lung which usually kills within a year or so after diagnosis.
Ms. Hancock campaigned against the company after she contracted the disease and sought legal action against the company’s owners. She eventually won a groundbreaking compensation claim, opening the door for thousands of others to seek compensation. June Hancock died in 1997.
Hope for Mesothelioma Treatment
Labels: mesothelioma, Research News
posted by Nancy Meredith at 7:07 AM
Thursday, July 16, 2009
According to Pharmaceutical Business Review, patient enrollment in Peregrine Pharmaceutical, Inc. US Phase I clinical trial to evaluate the drug Bavituxmab as monotherapy for patients with advanced refractory cancers is complete.
The study’s objectives include determining the safety and tolerability in patients with advanced cancer, Bavituximab’s toxicity levels plus the maximum tolerated dose and/or maximum effective dose. So far, a maximum tolerated dose has not been reached even at the highest dosage planned.
The trial includes mesothelioma patients as well as breast, colorectal, pancreatic, liver, prostate, melanoma, and head and neck. Peregrine has begun designing additional bavituximab cancer trials based on Phase I findings and Phase II combination therapy trials in breast and lung cancers.
To date there is no available cure for mesothelioma.
New Cancer Therapy Trials for Mesothelioma
Labels: Research News
posted by Your Attorney at 1:44 PM