2017 New Year’s Resolutions for the Mesothelioma Community

It is the start of a new year, and with it comes an opportunity to change behaviors, break bad habits or to simply re-evaluate what is important to you. We all have 365 days in 2017 to make a difference for ourselves and for others – so let’s make good use of each day!

Establishing a list of resolutions can help you stick to your goals or just give you a way to organize your thoughts to see what you want from 2017.

Here are some suggestions for New Year’s resolutions for mesothelioma patients, their families and caregivers.

Manage mesothelioma and its symptoms with a complete treatment plan, but make sure to focus on your mind as well.

Engage in fun activities.

Share your story with others to help educate them about mesothelioma.

Organize your paperwork by keeping a file of important medical information, insurance papers and other critical documents.

Treat yourself to something special.

Help others in the mesothelioma community by offering them insights from your experiences.

Eat out with a friend, or invite them over for carry out.

Live life fully and look forward to whatever the next day may bring.

Insist on the best care from your medical team.

Open up to family, friends and medical professions and ask for help when needed.

Make sure to let your caregivers know they are appreciated.

Always stay positive.

Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2017!

2016 Year in Review: Top Mesothelioma Stories

2016 is coming to a close, and while another year has gone by with no cure for mesothelioma, many believe this year’s research efforts brought the mesothelioma community much closer to that goal. There are treatments in clinical trials, promising leads still in the lab, and recently approved treatments now available to patients that show promise for effectively fighting the asbestos-caused cancer.

Every year Mesothelioma Help reports on the top mesothelioma stories of the year, and below we highlight some of our most important stories of 2016.

Number One MesotheliomaHelp Story of 2016

This is the third year in a row that we have selected Mavis Nye of England, who has been living with mesothelioma for over seven years, for the top spot of our news stories for the year. Mavis, who has been a staunch advocate for herself and for all mesothelioma patients, successfully completed a two-year clinical trial of the drug known as Keytruda in the U.S. And, in July, Mavis was the first person in the UK to be able to claim she is in remission from mesothelioma.

In 2014, Mavis enrolled in the MK-3475 clinical trial being run at The Royal Marsden, a world-leading cancer center in the UK. Mavis was the first mesothelioma patient in the UK to participate in the trial designed to test the efficacy of the drug, developed by Merck, in suppressing the PD-L1 biomarker found in cancer cells. PD-L1, or programmed death-ligand 1, is a protein that has been shown to play a role in suppressing the immune system during cancer and other diseases.

Patients across the U.S. are clamoring for Keytruda after 91-year-old, former president Jimmy Carter announced last year that the drug helped him beat melanoma, that had metastasized to his liver and brain.

Thank you Mavis for paving the way for other mesothelioma patients!

U.S. Government Funds Allocated for Cancer Research

The U.S. Government has continued to support research to improve and protect the health of all Americans. During the last year, our representatives and President Obama have approved significant funding to bring new, effective cancer treatments to patients more quickly.

Cancer Moonshot Initiative: In President Obama’s State of the Union address in January he announced a national effort to “cure cancer” through the Cancer Moonshot Initiative. With a goal to accelerate cancer research, President Obama allocated the money and put Vice President Joe Biden at the helm. The hope is that the Moonshot will bring about the breakthroughs needed to bring an end to the needless suffering of millions of Americans – and ultimately, people worldwide. The Cancer Moonshot Task Force will consult with external experts, including the presidentially appointed National Cancer Advisory Board with a charge to provide expert advice on the vision, proposed scientific goals, and implementation of the Cancer Moonshot.
The 21st Century Cures Act: The U.S. government has allocated billions to ensure Americans have the resources necessary to target many of the top medical issues today. Nearly $5 billion has been allocated to fight cancer. This includes $1.8 billion in new resources to transform cancer research and accelerate discoveries towards the Moonshot initiative, and close to $3 billion towards the President’s Precision Medicine Initiatives, among other initiatives, to improve health.

“21st Century Cures is the innovation game-changer that patients, their loved ones, and the nation’s researchers and scientists so desperately need.”

The 2017 Defense Appropriations Bill: Mesothelioma was first funded through the bill in 2011 and has been on the list every year since then, with mesothelioma-eligible funding once again earmarked for 2017. $30 million was allocated for distribution among eligible cancers including mesothelioma, brain cancer, colorectal cancer, listeria vaccine for cancer and many others. An additional $12 million is set aside specifically for the lung cancer research program. The bill provides a total of $282 million for cancer research.

“The Committee commends the Department of Defense for ensuring that projects funded through the various peer-reviewed cancer research programs maintain a focus on issues of significance to military populations and the warfighter.” Close to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year, with nearly one-third of those being military veterans.

Clinical Trials Underway Benefit Mesothelioma Community

ONCOS-102: Announced in November, this clinical trial is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of ONCOS-102, an immuno-oncology therapy, when administered in combination with chemotherapy drugs. The clinical trial, being conducted at the Hospital Universitario Quirón in Barcelona, Spain, begins with a Phase 1b trial of a cohort of six patients who will first receive ONCOS-102 with pemetrexed/cisplatin. The standard of care for pleural mesothelioma is the combination therapy of pemetrexed and cisplatin.
CRS-207: Aduro-Biotech, the maker of the Listeria-based vaccine that has been engineered to induce immune system T cells to target cancer cells that express mesothelin, reports continued encouraging results with the immunotherapy drug in its ongoing Phase 1b mesothelioma clinical trial. The company reports 82% of patients had disease control, with 55% achieving a partial response, and 27% with stable disease; and tumor shrinkage was observed in 77% of patients. The company hopes to advance directly to a Phase 3 clinical trial due to these encouraging results seen in mesothelioma patients.
Opdivo: Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina have opened a Phase IB/II clinical trial with Opdivo (nivolumab), a drug that has already shown “spectacular results” for treating lung cancer patients, to assess whether a longer survival can be achieved with patients when ALT-803 is added to nivolumab. Developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Opdivo works by blocking the PD-L1 protein and activating the immune system, leading it to attack and kill cancer cells. ALT-803, being developed by Altor BioScience Corporation, is an immune stimulation drug. By combining these two forms of immunotherapy drugs, the researchers are hoping to deliver a one-two punch to the cancer cells.

FDA Approvals

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been on a roll this year in approving anti-cancer drugs. While none of the approvals are specific to mesothelioma, those approved for lung cancer care open new doors for treatment of mesothelioma patients.

In January, the FDA approved Keytruda for first-line treatment in melanoma patients, then in October, Keytruda became the only anti-PD-1 therapy approved by the FDA for first-line treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. Keytruda works by targeting the cellular pathway known as PD-1/PD-L1 (proteins found on the body’s immune cells and some cancer cells). This is the same drug that gave Mavis Nye her life back.
Roche’s immunotherapy drug atezolizumab, known as TECENTRIQ, was approved in October for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer whose disease progressed during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy. Compared with the chemotherapy drug docetaxel, patients in the trials saw a 4.2 and a 2.9 month improvement in overall survival, respectively.

About Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer of the lungs, heart or abdomen, caused by past exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma has a long latency period where those exposed to asbestos may not exhibit symptoms for nearly 60 years after exposure. Mesothelioma can be treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, however, the likelihood of recurrence of the cancer is high. There is no cure for mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma Help will continue to bring timely, thoroughly researched articles to our readers in 2017.

Drug Delivery System - Mesothelioma Treatments

Automatic Drug Delivery System Can Increase Effectiveness of Mesothelioma Treatments

Mesothelioma patients are often faced with a cocktail of drugs including anti-cancer, anti-nausea, and antibiotics when undergoing treatments. This involves countless, and sometimes lengthy, medical appointments to receive chemotherapy infusions and other injections. Now, a new implantable drug delivery device may revolutionize the way cancer patients receive their medications.

Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), in partnership with Houston Methodist Research Institute began researching a safer, more effective way to deliver medications to chronically ill patients since precision dosing is needed for maximum effectiveness. When patients are put in charge of their own medications they may forget to take them or, on the other hand, they may inadvertently take too much of a drug, leading to sometimes devastating side effects. For chemotherapy drugs and other infusions, a visit to a medical center is required. These trips can be hard on extremely ill patients, often leaving them exhausted.

Led by Lyle Hood, study lead and assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UTSA, the research team developed a tiny implantable capsule that can deliver medicinal doses for several days or a few weeks, according to a Dec. 2 article in Science Daily. The mechanism can be used for illnesses requiring a localized drug delivery over an extended period of time, such as cancer where the drug can be released directly in the tumor, or for HIV.

The researchers are hopeful that the “new device could revolutionize the delivery of medicine to treat cancer,” and other illnesses. Hood plans to pursue using the device for immunotherapy treatments for cancer patients.

“It’s an implantable capsule, filled with medicinal fluid that uses about 5000 nanochannels to regulate the rate of release of the medicine,” said Hood. “This way, we have the proper amount of drugs in a person’s system to be effective, but not so much that they’ll harm that person.”

While many mesothelioma patients are familiar with a port that is temporarily implanted for chemotherapy treatments, this device is injected under the skin and actually carries the medicine itself. The team hopes to have a fully biodegradable unit available in the future that can be swallowed.

Mesothelioma is an asbestos-caused cancer of the lungs, abdomen or heart that is very aggressive. The cancer requires an equally aggressive treatment, however, sometimes the dosing given in one visit can be too toxic for many patients. This type of delivery system that can give a steady amount of drugs over a period of time could help avoid this issue, while allowing the patient to remain at home.

Mesothelioma is diagnosed in close to 3,000 Americans each year. There is no cure for the cancer.

Psilocybin Can Have “Profound” Impact on Managing Anxiety and Depression in Mesothelioma Patients

Many mesothelioma patients face a bleak prognosis, with survival often less than 18 months. They often become overwhelmed and depressed as they fight to improve their survival, but are forced to face their mortality at the same time. Now, researchers say the use of psilocybin, an hallucinogen found in magic mushrooms, may help improve a cancer patient’s outlook and can lead to “profound and enduring mental health benefits.”

The Journal of Psychopharmacology announced in an editorial of its special December issue that two of the “most rigorous controlled trials to date using the psychedelic drug psilocybin” found one “psychedelic experience” could bring significant relief to cancer patients suffering from anxiety and depression. In an overwhelmingly positive response to the studies by countless psychiatric organizations, the consensus is, “it’s time to take psychedelic treatments in psychiatry and oncology seriously, as we did in the 1950s and 1960s, which means we need to go back to the future,” according to the editorial by David Nutt, Imperial College London.

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine conducted a trial in 51 cancer patients with life-threatening diagnoses and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. They found that patients who received a “high-dose” of psilocybin had “large” drops in feelings of depression and anxiety as well in death anxiety. In addition, they saw an increase in their quality of life and optimism. Nearly 80% of the patients reported a “moderately or greater increased well-being/life satisfaction.”

CNN reports in a Dec. 1 article that one patient who was suffering from metastatic endometrial cancer participated in the Johns Hopkins trial. After receiving a single dose of psilocybin during the study, she said, “it was kind of magic. As I took it, the cloud of doom seemed to just lift. From then on, I was fine.” The woman had seen little to no improvement in her depression when taking prescription anti-depressants prior to the trial.

Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer of the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart caused by past exposure to asbestos. Nearly 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with the cancer each year. Research has shown that patients who focus on the power of the mind-body connection and choose to be optimistic and positive will realize a higher quality of life and may respond better to treatments. However, some patients need an effective medicine to lift their spirits when depression has taken hold.

In the second study led by the New York University School of Medicine, the team took a group of 29 patients with cancer-related anxiety and depression. After just a single-dose of psilocybin, the patients experienced “immediate, substantial, and sustained improvements in anxiety and depression,” as well an increase in their spiritual wellbeing and their quality of life. After 6.5 months, the patients had “sustained benefits in existential distress and quality of life, as well as improved attitudes towards death.”

Various studies have been conducted that show positive thinking results in the improvement in a patient’s health. Many physicians believe that when there is an improvement in a patient’s mood and outlook on the illness the patient can recover more quickly from surgery and other treatments. When feeling better emotionally, mesothelioma patients may see an improvement in their energy levels, mental acuity, sleep patterns and breathing even while undergoing treatments.

The results led researchers to conclude that, along with psychotherapy, psilocybin may be a quick, effective and lasting treatment for patients with cancer-related psychological distress.

It is important to note that these studies were conducted in medical settings and the treatment was highly controlled. More research needs to be conducted, and, according to the researchers, this type of treatment will more than likely always be given in a medical facility and not released to patients.

“Hopefully, the positive findings that they report will act to spur on other researchers in the field of psychopharmacology, particularly in relation to depression, anxiety and addiction,” said Nutt.

Sources:

Journal of Psychopharmacology
http://jop.sagepub.com/content/30/12/1163.full.pdf+html
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
http://jop.sagepub.com/content/30/12/1181.abstract
CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/23/health/veterans-dying-health-care-delays
New York University School of Medicine
http://jop.sagepub.com/content/30/12/1165.abstract

Anti-Cancer Drug Found Effective in Rare Cancers Could Be Used as Mesothelioma Treatment

The ability to halt the growth of mesothelioma cancer cells, and to kill the cells, often relies on finding a drug that can inhibit the cells’ ability to communicate. Cells communicate via complex signalling pathways, and finding the right one to focus on can mean the difference in survival in patients. Now, researchers report that the Notch signalling pathway may be the key to stopping cancer growth in rare cancers, such as mesothelioma.

Patients with a wide range of cancers who had mutations of the Notch protein were selected for a study conducted by researchers from the Institut Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus in France. They focused on the Notch signalling pathway because of its role in driving cancer cells to grow, divide, and spread throughout the body. In addition, they report the Notch pathway plays a role in growth of new blood vessels that feed tumor growth and helps cancers become chemo-resistant. The pathway uses four Notch proteins that transfer messages across the cell membrane.

Expert Insight

Dr. Christophe Massard

“One of the interesting results with implications for some patients is that the drug was active against rare cancers such as adenoid cystic carcinoma.”

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When the patients in the Phase I clinical trial were given LY3039478, a novel and potent Notch inhibitor, some of the patients experienced tumor shrinkage, disease stabilization and no further progression. These results were also seen in the rare cancer, adenoid cystic carcinoma.

“The results from this phase I trial prove that LY3039478 has the effect on tumours that was expected, by inhibiting the Notch signalling and thereby preventing cancer cell growth and proliferation,” said Dr. Christophe Massard, senior medical oncology consultant and chair of the Early Drug Development program at Gustave Roussy.

Pleural mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. The cancer, that affects just 3,000 Americans each year, is highly aggressive and is resistant to many current treatments. Care often follows the same protocol as lung cancer. Currently, there is no known cure for mesothelioma, but research such as this brings hope to the mesothelioma community that an effective treatment is on the horizon.

The trial results were presented at the 28th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Munich, Germany.

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