Mesothelioma Help Cancer News
Drug Targeting Biomarker Could Bring New, Personalized Treatment to Mesothelioma Patients
Last month, MesotheliomaHelp reported on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s first-ever approval of an immunotherapy drug that targets a particular biomarker, regardless of cancer type. Now, researchers report they have developed another anti-cancer drug that targets just one biomarker and that it has shown “dramatic antitumor effect” across all 17 cancer types tested.
In a report presented by David Hyman, M.D., Chief of the Early Drug Development Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting, researchers found that when the tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) biomarker was targeted by the experimental drug larotrectinib (LOXO-101) “the vast majority of both adults and children whose tumors have this [TRK] mutation” responded to the treatment.
Across three pivotal clinical trials covering 17 tumor types, larotrectinib resulted in a 76% overall response rate in 55 adult and pediatric cancer patients with the TRK mutation. According to the report, of those who responded, 89% were progression-free at the time the data were analyzed, indicating that the cancer had not gotten worse in those patients since starting treatment. These positive results “are potentially practice changing,” said the researchers.
“We are seeing the true potential of precision medicine come to life,” says Dr. Hyman, in a June 3 press release announcing the findings. “It’s groundbreaking to have such a consistent response across multiple cancer types.”
Dr. Hyman said that this is the first cancer therapy to be developed simultaneously in adults and children. He also added that in patients with a cancer carrying the TRK fusion, “it’s found in every cancer cell in that patient.”
Personalized medicine is considered one of the best ways to combat mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer. Tailored care ensures a mesothelioma patient’s unique disease characteristics, including the cancer’s genetic makeup, are targeted when being treated. Research has shown that with targeted therapy success of the treatment is higher.
According to a 2014 article in ScienceDaily, the TRK gene was first identified in 1982, but researchers are only now focusing on the family of biomarkers as a target to treat cancers. The family of TRK genes, including NTRK1, NTRK2 and NTRK3, have shown up in many cancers, including lung, breast, and melanoma.
Dr. Hyman notes that the TRK fusions are rare within most individual cancers. Mesothelioma patients should work with their oncologist to determine if they are TRK positive and if there is a clinical trial that could work for them.
Both the FDA and European Medicines Agency have granted orphan drug designation for larotrectinib (LOXO-101) for treatment of patients with soft tissue sarcoma.
For more information about the LOX-101 clinical trials visit Loxo Oncology’s website, or read more about the NAVIGATE clinical trial at ClinicalTrials.gov.
Sources
- ClinicalTrials.gov
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=%22malignant+mesothelioma%22&recr=Open&pg=1 - Loxo Oncology’s website
https://www.loxooncology.com/patients-caregivers/our-clinical-trials - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
https://www.mskcc.org/blog/asco17-drug-targeting-genetic-mutation-works-across-all-tumor-types
Mesothelioma-Fighting Benefits Found in Osteoporosis Drug
In April, MesotheliomaHelp reported on the potential benefits of using a drug for the treatment of multiple sclerosis in the fight against mesothelioma. Now, researchers report a drug used in the treatment of osteoporosis may also help mesothelioma patients.
Researchers from the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham conducted a pilot study to evaluate the antitumor activity, duration of response, and progression-free survival of malignant pleural mesothelioma patients treated with zoledronic acid. Given as an intravenous infusion, zoledronic acid is used to treat osteoporosis, a condition characterized by low bone density, decreased bone strength and increased susceptibility to fractures.
The drug is also sometimes used with cancer chemotherapy treatments to treat bone problems that may occur with various cancers, including lung cancer, that have spread to the bones, according to WebMD. The drug lowers high blood calcium levels by reducing the amount of calcium released from the bones into the blood, as well as slowing the breakdown of bones by cancer, aiding in the prevention of bone fractures.
Preclinical studies showed that zoledronic acid could inhibit mesothelioma growth through apoptosis (cell death), and by inhibiting the growth of new blood vessels, as well as through other means. To assess these results, the researchers used zoledronic acid to treat eight patients with unresectable pleural mesothelioma who had progressed on prior treatments.
The team reported positive results including median progression-free survival of two months and median overall survival of seven months, with no toxicities in the patients. In addition, the team found that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) amounts “were predictive of favorable response.” VEGF is an autocrine growth factor released by mesothelioma cells, causing new blood vessels to form, and is shown to be higher in mesothelioma patients.
“Our pilot study suggests modest activity of zoledronic acid as a single agent in the treatment of mesothelioma and warrants further investigation in combination with other agents,” the researchers concluded.
Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer that invades the lining of the organs after exposure to asbestos. The disease can take decades to develop, but once diagnosed, patients often receive a prognosis of less than 18 months. However, effective treatment can improve survival and quality of life.
Using a drug already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lessens the time and costs for approval of the same drug for other diseases.
To find out more, read the full study in Lung Cancer: Targets and Therapy.
NY Doctor Says Lingering Effects of 9/11 Terrorist Attacks May Impact Millions, Mesothelioma Cases Likely to Rise
Mesothelioma Help has reported numerous times on the long-term health effects many Americans face from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack in New York City. Now, a world renowned mesothelioma expert reports that millions may have a serious health issue as a result of the toxic dust fallout.
In a June 3 article in 9 News.com.au, Dr. Raja Flores of Mount Sinai Medical Center claims anyone who was in New York City during the collapse of the Twin Towers, and during the days following, could have been exposed to asbestos. He said NY doctors have seen more cancers and a higher number of patients with respiratory issues. Dr. Flores believes there could be a “double or tripling of the number of lung cancers in people who were in New York City on 9/11 and mesothelioma and people dying of pleural fibrosis from asbestos is.”
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs linked to inhaling asbestos. According to reports, about 400 tons of asbestos were used in the twin towers, and upon the collapse, asbestos and other toxic substances such as mercury and lead were released into the air. Today, close to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.
“It [toxic dust] contaminated a huge portion of the city and that entire population was exposed,” Dr. Flores, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the Mount Sinai Hospital, NY, told nine.com.au. “In 15-20 years we are going to see a serious health issue here in New York. We haven’t even seen the tip of this iceberg yet.”
Expert Insight
“The US may be a few years away from a catastrophic national health crisis.”
Dr. Flores is a world renowned expert in mesothelioma, lung cancer, and esophageal cancer. He serves as Mount Sinai Cancer Center’s Chairman for the Department of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Flores conducted a landmark study in 2008, titled “Extra pleural Pneumonectomy versus Pleurectomy Decortication in the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma,” that was one of the most frequently cited studies from the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
Access to Health Care Through James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and WTC Program
The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, passed in 2010, provides $4.3 billion in compensation and health monitoring services to rescue workers and NY residents harmed by toxic dust and smoke from the 9/11 attacks. The Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), created under the Zadroga Act, is operated under the Department of Justice. Through this, some cancer victims can file for compensation.
The act also established the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. The WTC Health Program “offers annual monitoring, and treatment, including medication, at no cost, to eligible WTC workers and volunteers, for both physical and mental health conditions related to their WTC service.” It also provides health evaluations and treatment for survivors who were in the New York City disaster area.
To find out if you are eligible for support under the WTC Health Program visit http://www.cdc.gov/wtc/ or call 1-888-982-4748.
Anyone who has a WTC-related health condition, of which mesothelioma is one, the WTC Health Program’s healthcare providers will provide quality medical treatment for the patient. The program reports that the basis for adding mesothelioma to the list was due to exposure to chrysotile asbestos from the buildings. The program set a minimum latency of 11 years for mesothelioma for certification in the WTC Health Program. This minimum has now been exceeded making this cancer a real concern for many.
“It’s [asbestos] one of the most dangerous substances around. Every day I operate (I see) patients that have been affected by asbestos is. The safe amount of asbestos in the air for someone to inhale is zero. There’s no safe amount,” said Dr Flores.
According to Dr. Flores, having a low dose CAT yearly to see if you have any signs of asbestos exposure in your lungs is the best option for those present during the 9/11 tragedy.
Anyone who believes they may have been affected by the 9/11 events is encouraged to file any and all appropriate claims to ensure your health will be monitored and, in the event you become ill, you receive your share of the financial compensation set aside for victims.
Keytruda and Mesothelioma Explained
There is a lot of talk about Keytruda and what it can offer mesothelioma patients. Keytruda is the trade name for pembrolizumab. It is included in a new classification of drugs used to fight cancer, a monoclonal antibody that is a programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) blocking antibody. Antibodies are part of the body’s response to antigens that have entered the body. The antibody then attaches to the antigen in order to fight it off. Basically, the goal of Keytruda is to wake up the immune system and to detect and destroy cancer cells.
Pembrolizumab or Keytruda was invented by scientists Gregory Craven, Hans van Eenennaam and John Dulos. In 2016, they were recognized as Inventors of the Year by the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation. Merck Pharmaceuticals produces and supplies the drug.
Keytruda is currently approved for treatment of melanoma that cannot be removed by surgery or that has metastasized, non-small cell lung cancer that has metastasized or has expressed the PD-L1 protein and the disease got worse during or after treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy. In order to be approved for treatment the FDA studies the clinical trials and all the scientific evidence and will then allow approval for the drug to be used in those specific areas in which the evidence supports it. Every prescription drug marketed in the United States carries an individual FDA approved label.
See MesotheliomaHelp‘s latest article about Keytruda’s recent accelerated approval for cancerbiomarkers.
Keytruda is administered by vein as an intravenous infusion over 30 minutes every three weeks. The dose is determined by your doctor by your weight, overall health, and for your type of cancer.
In the United States, currently, there are ten clinical trials being offered to patients with mesothelioma for Keytruda. The trials are located throughout the U.S. and are the basis of decisions on whether Keytruda is effective for patients with mesothelioma, and thus, whether it will be approved for treating mesothelioma. As the clinical trials progress it is hoped that the drug will become an option for patients who have malignant mesothelioma. It is a potential new option.
Every drug has side effects and Keytruda is no different. It is estimated that 30% of patients who receive Keytruda experience side effects.
Current mesothelioma patients should check with their doctors to see if they are eligible for a clinical trial with Keytruda. Merck is conducting over 270 clinical trials on approximately 30 different cancers.
This is a conversation worth pursuing with your mesothelioma team!
If you have questions about your mesothelioma treatment or any aspect of your mesothelioma care, please email me at [email protected].
Tips for Helping Mesothelioma Patients Enjoy Fourth of July Celebrations
Today, all Americans celebrate the Fourth of July holiday marking our independence. For many people this means a time of barbecues, family picnics and sun in the fun. Like most holidays though, for mesothelioma patients and their families, it can also be a stressful time with all the added activity.
Here are a few tips to help make the day enjoyable while also taking care of your health:
- Drink plenty of water: The heat can be dehydrating leading to headaches and dizziness. Make sure to sip ice-cold water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Sports drinks are also a great option during the heat of the day.
- Get in the shade or air-conditioning: When your friends and families are outside having fun it can be tough to sneak away to get cool, but it is important to do just that so you do not overheat. Don’t wait until you are miserable from the heat, seek shade or go inside and rest then head back out when you are feeling better.
- Use sunscreen and cover up: If you are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation, you may be more sensitive to the sun. Make sure to cover up with light colored clothing and to use an SPF 30 or higher on your exposed skin.
- Eat small amounts of food: There is sure to be plenty of food at the celebration. Don’t be tempted to overindulge as that can bring on discomfort and GI distress. Eat small amounts of food throughout the day and you will feel much better. Also, be aware that mesothelioma treatments can make you more susceptible to food-borne bacteria. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends that you make sure any food you eat is well-chilled and has not been left out in the heat.
- Take a Dip: You can join in on the fun in the pool. Exercise is recommended for cancer patients, and in the heat there may be nothing more refreshing than a short dip in the pool. According to the NCCN, swimming is a good source of light exercise that will keep you cool, help reduce strain on your joints, and soothe your aching muscles. But, know your limits and rest when needed.
With a little planning the 4th of July can be a fun day and a welcome break from your treatments. Take care of yourself and have a healthy and happy 4th!
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