Mesothelioma Help Cancer News
Targeted Therapy May Soon be Primary Approach for Mesothelioma Treatment
Targeted care optimizes the potential for success of mesothelioma treatment and provides the patient with the assurance that his cancer is being treated according to his unique characteristics. Personalized cancer treatment is gaining popularity among physicians and oncologists, however, it is far from mainstream. If researchers from University of Michigan have their way, however, treatment for all cancers will soon be personalized based on the patient’s biomarkers.
In a new study released from researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, the team looked at the DNA sequencing of nearly 500 patients. Of those, almost 75 percent of them had biomarkers that can be targeted by either existing or experimental anti-cancer treatments.
Biomarkers, including EGFR and PD-L1, that are present in mesothelioma and other cancers, help indicate the reason for the growth of the cancers and are the focus of current and experimental treatments used to fight the deadly disease. Many clinical trials are being offered now for mesothelioma patients that pinpoint particular biomarkers. One well-known trial is the Keynote-28 trial, that eight-year mesothelioma survivor Mavis Nye of England participated in, that targeted the PD-L1 marker and put her mesothelioma in remission.
“Availability of biomarker trials is crucial for being able to act on these results,” says Erin Cobain, M.D., clinical lecturer of hematology/oncology at the University of Michigan Medical School.
The value of the study lies in the method used to sequence the genes and the process for developing patient care based on the results of the sequencing. Using “next generation sequencing” the team reports that the genetic sequencing looks at all of the DNA and RNA expressed within a tumor, as well as sequencing the patient’s normal genome to identify genes that may be inherited from the patient’s parents.
Expert Insight
Erin Cobain, M.D., University of Michigan
Sequencing is beginning to have a real impact on treatment recommendations.”
Using MI-ONCOSEQ, the tool developed at the Michigan Oncology Sequencing Center, the test uses a fresh biopsy from the patient, as opposed to frozen tissue samples used by commercially-available tools, allowing the Michigan researchers to perform a more comprehensive analysis. According to the press release, commercial tests analyze only about 350 genes compared to MI-ONCOSEQ’s ability to cover at least 1,700 genes.
Mesothelioma is an incurable, asbestos-caused cancer of the membranes that surround many of the body’s vital organs, including the lungs. The cancer is highly aggressive and is resistant to many cancer treatments making it a difficult disease to treat effectively. Thus, developing a treatment protocol that specifically targets the genetic makeup of the patient’s cancer is vital for improving survival rates.
Nurse Explains Cancer Staging
Staging of a person’s cancer is done for many different reasons. According to the American Cancer Society, staging is defined as: “The process of finding out how much cancer is in the person’s body and where it is located. It’s how the doctor determines the stage of a person’s cancer.” For mesothelioma, there have been various different staging systems put in place over the years at different institutions. This sometimes leads to confusion regarding the language, a patient’s prognosis, and for scientists hoping to speak a common language when collaborating.
Most cancers are staged using the TNM classification system. T stands for the primary tumor, N stands for the lymph nodes- whether the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes, M stands for metastasis, whether the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body. Each of these three classifications- T, N, M – is then broken down with more descriptive information. Once the extent of the T, N, M classifications have been determined, they are then assigned an overall stage. There are also other factors that affect the stage, including the grade- how the cells look under the microscope, cell type, location, and tumor marker levels. Once cancer is staged it always remains the same. If you are diagnosed with Stage 2 cancer, it will always be referred to as Stage 2 even if it goes into remission, or metastasizes to other organs.
For many years, mesothelioma experts did not have a defined staging system exclusively to describe mesothelioma. A mesothelioma expert once said mesothelioma is so rare just having the diagnosis of mesothelioma, at an earlier point in time, would have gotten you into a mesothelioma clinical trial.
As testimony to progress, a group led by Dr. Valerie Rusch of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in conjunction with the International Mesothelioma Interest Group, and other organizations has defined a new staging system for pleural mesothelioma. The importance of mesothelioma staging system is uniformity in describing the disease. The effect of various treatment options can be studied and perfected for the different types of pleural mesothelioma.
More evidence that the treatment of mesothelioma is being advanced on many fronts and further work towards a potential cure!
If you have questions about your mesothelioma treatment or any aspect of your mesothelioma care, please email me at [email protected].
Writing About Mesothelioma & Family’s Journey
People often ask me, “Why do you keep writing and working for a cure for mesothelioma, even though your Dad is no longer here?” Continuing to work for and with the mesothelioma community is not even a question for me. I do it because it matters.
My Dad is no longer with us, it’s true, but the memories he left me and the impact he had on my life are still vibrant. I do this so that his struggle will not have been in vain. He meant something to so many people, and I want his story to inspire others to not give up and have strong faith in God.
I write because I hope that my family’s journey can bring comfort to someone in need. I hope that if there is a person struggling or looking for an answer, they can find some respite in what we went through. Sure, we went through a hard time, but maybe we can help somebody from going through the troubles that we did.
I work because mesothelioma is already an orphan disease. Why should I orphan it as well? It is because people don’t talk about it that this cancer has become so little-known. They say that knowledge is power. I want to bring about as much awareness as I can to highlight the dangers of asbestos and to work to prevent one more person from suffering from this disease.
It matters. This cause, so close to my heart, that took my beloved father from me, matters. You matter. Your loved one matters. Your story matters. Never forget that, and never stop fighting.
Mesothelioma Patients Should Heed FDA Warnings Regarding Miracle Cures
In pursuit of its mission to protect the public health by ensuring the safety and efficacy of drugs, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent out warning letters to 14 companies claiming their products can prevent, diagnose, treat or cure cancer. The products, none of which have been approved by the FDA, can be appealing to mesothelioma patients or anyone fighting a terminal cancer, but they could lead to severe illness or, potentially, death.
In each of the 14 letters, found on the FDA’s website, the Agency notes that the items being marketed fall under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act due to the intended use in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease. The letters go on to itemize examples of the claims on the company’s website, product label, social media and other media that provide evidence the products are intended for use as drugs.
It is a violation of federal law to market and sell products that claim to prevent, diagnose, treat, mitigate or cure diseases without first demonstrating to the FDA that they are safe and effective for their labeled uses.
Among the 65 products the FDA cited are claims for a tea with “cancer killing properties”; a vitamin that can “stop cancer cells from multiplying, kill cancer cells, and block their blood supply”; and drugs that are a “chemopreventive agent due to their ability to modulate underlying mechanisms involved in carcinogenesis.”
“Consumers should not use these or similar unproven products because they may be unsafe and could prevent a person from seeking an appropriate and potentially life-saving cancer diagnosis or treatment,” said Douglas W. Stearn, director of the Office of Enforcement and Import Operations in the FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs, in the April 25 press release announcing the warnings.
Although there are the rare cases of individuals who have survived mesothelioma through holistic care, the saying “it takes a village” is applicable to the fight against mesothelioma. A mesothelioma care team may include the family physician, a medical oncologist, pulmonologist, surgeon, radiologist, nurses, pathologists, nutritionists, rehab therapists and social workers.
Mesothelioma is caused by the inhalation or ingestion of airborne asbestos fibers. In the case of pleural mesothelioma, the fibers lodge deep in tissue surrounding the lungs, causing inflammation that festers for years. Chronic, persistent inflammation is a known cause of cancer, and in the case of mesothelioma, can take decades to develop into a malignancy. Mesothelioma is deemed an incurable cancer, with an estimated survival of less than 18 months after diagnosis.
Many mesothelioma patients turn to holistic treatments as complementary treatments to help relieve symptoms and to ease stress, but anytime a company makes a claim that its product can cure cancer, you can be sure the claim is fraudulent.
“We encourage people to remain vigilant whether online or in a store, and avoid purchasing products marketed to treat cancer without any proof they will work,” said Stearn. “Patients should consult a health care professional about proper prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.”
The companies have 15 days from receipt of the letter to respond to the FDA with information regarding the actions they have taken to correct the violations and to assure violations do not happen again. According to the FDA, failure to correct the violations promptly may result in legal action, including product seizure, injunction and/or criminal prosecution.
Remembering Loved Ones Lost to Mesothelioma
Each spring a Memorial Service is held for families that have lost loved ones to mesothelioma. It never gets any easier to see the personal toll that this deadly cancer has taken. Remembering patients and families that have dealt with the death of a loved one from mesothelioma is sobering. Every year a member of the mesothelioma medical team talks about the progress that continues to be made toward a cure. Although not fast enough for these families and loved ones, the update always helps everyone in attendance, by offering hope. Hope that no other patients and families will have to go through what they have been through and suffer the losses that they have.
The service is a testimony to the generosity of the human spirit. Although their loved ones are gone, the families and loved ones are their representatives on earth. By putting a face to the patient, and showing the whole picture of the victims of this disease, researchers can take this snapshot of their relatives back to the lab with them for inspiration in the coming year. Each year there is progress to report and each year there is appreciation for the continuous support of these brave families, and continued support of the work needed for a cure.
There is a lot of ambivalence about attending a memorial service like this. From our experiences over the years, when the service is over families feel better. By acknowledgment that their loved one’s fight is over, and that they have potentially helped other patients in the future, does provide some comfort for the families. For some it is difficult to come back to a place that holds painful memories.
One family member acknowledging that she almost did not come, spoke of coming back to a place that had offered her and her family hope when they could not find it anywhere else. Although her family member had died, she was grateful for the quality time they did have together.
The reasons for attending are as varied as the patients. Stories and memories are shared,and a grateful community leans on each other to continue on to a day when there will be no need for an annual Memorial Service for mesothelioma patients.
Free Mesothelioma Patient & Treatment Guide
We’d like to offer you our in-depth guide, “A Patient’s Guide to Mesothelioma,” absolutely free of charge.
It contains a wealth of information and resources to help you better understand the condition, choose (and afford) appropriate treatment, and exercise your legal right to compensation.
Download Now