After nearly a century of mesothelioma research, doctors have learned what causes this cancer, who is most at risk for contracting the disease, what symptoms indicate its presence and what tools are most effective at diagnosing and treating the cancer. These strides have significantly impacted how medical professionals diagnose and treat mesothelioma. Current efforts are working to develop more effective treatments and an eventual cure for this life-threatening disease.
Pharmaceutical Breakthroughs for Mesothelioma
Currently, the FDA has only approved one chemotherapy medication for the treatment of mesothelioma. Alimta, which works to stop cell division, is often administered along with the platinum-based chemotherapy agent Cisplatin in one of the most effective chemotherapy combinations available.
Onconase, one of the first stem cell medications to reach the final stages of clinical trials, is a low-toxicity chemotherapy drug that is designed to shrink and kill mesothelioma tumors. This medication has been admitted to the FDA’s Fast Track program, which expedites the approval time for certain drugs. This program often cuts the approval time to six months, allowing the medication in question to be quickly designated for widespread use when patients have few other FDA-approved options.
Veglin, which has demonstrated ability to stabilize and shrink tumors, reached Phase II clinical trial testing in 2004. The University of California’s Keck School of Medicine is currently examining its success in mesothelioma patients. Researchers hope to curb the rapid metastasis typical of mesothelioma with this medication.
The process of introducing a new mesothelioma medication typically takes between 12 and 15 years. To ensure patient safety, adequate time must be spent in each stage of the development process. The table below outlines the average process of testing and presenting a new pharmaceutical product.
| Stage of the Process | Step of Development |
|---|---|
| Years 1-3 | Basic Research |
| Years 4-6 | Pre-clinical testing using in vitro (artificially created environments) and animal trials |
| Years 7-10 | Clinical testing via Phase I, II and III clinical trials |
| Year 10 | Register the drug with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration |
| Year 11 | Introduction of the drug to the public |
| Years 11-15 | Product monitoring and Phase IV clinical trials |
Novel Procedures
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy is a more precise form of delivering radiation to an affected area, in turn sparing the healthy tissues around the tumor. Now implemented in nationwide hospitals, the relatively new procedure is one of the most precise forms of externally-delivered radiation therapy.
Gene therapy, which uses laboratory-modified viruses that activate the immune system and kill cancerous cells, is still in the experimental phase. Although not yet widespread, clinical trials have yielded promising results. Clinical trials are also exploring the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy, which exposes sensitive cancerous cells to light that can kill them, and immunotherapy, a technique that manipulates the patient’s immune system into attacking the antigens in cancerous cells.
Biomarkers are also generating considerable interest in research projects. Identifying specific compounds in fluid or tissue samples can indicate the presence or absence of a certain disease. Fujirebio Diagnostics’ test is the first of its kind that can detect the biomarkers associated with mesothelioma with a simple blood screen, and its developers hope it will increase the rate of early diagnosis.
Mesothelioma Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are one of the major ways that researchers can gather information about a specific drug or procedure’s affect on mesothelioma patients. Since the illness is quite rare, any opportunity to observe a patient’s response to an emergent treatment can greatly assist medical researchers in understanding the impact of the therapy in question.
Because the purpose of clinical trials is to further explore treatments that have illustrated success and safety in a laboratory, participants have the opportunity to benefit from a drug or therapy routine that is not yet available through their doctor or oncologist. These trials are professionally monitored, and the nature of the treatment as well as its risks and benefits are explained to a patient before they give their informed consent to participate.
Clinical trials involve four phases, each focusing on a crucial aspect of product development.
- Phase I determines basic information such as drug dosage or methods of administration.
- Phase II focuses on the treatment’s safety and interaction with the intended target.
- Phase III compares the new method of treatment to current options. If it appears to significantly impact prognosis, FDA approval will be requested, which can take up to a year.
- Phase IV begins after the drug has been approved for use and it becomes clinically accepted. This monitoring is used to measure its continued affects on a wider population.
Mesothelioma Research Funding
Advocacy groups have brought mesothelioma out of relative obscurity and have even secured federal funding for eligible studies. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Defense allocated $50 million for mesothelioma research, and the funds are being distributed in increments of up to $2.5 million.
The Meso Foundation's Science Advisory Board reviews dozens of international research proposals each year and awards grants of up to $50,000 per project per year. A number of smaller grants, private donations and proceeds from independent fundraisers have been awarded to other research organizations.
Applying Research: Education and Empowerment
Since 2004, the Annual Asbestos Awareness Conference has been sharing the recent research with medical professionals, patients and their families. The Meso Foundation sponsors a yearly International Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma, and the International Mesothelioma Interest Group has hosted a yearly mesothelioma conference since 2000. These events, along with smaller local presentations hosted by hospitals or physicians, are typically open to the public and provide attendees with breaking information on mesothelioma treatment, diagnosis and screening research.
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