Mesothelioma is a rare kind of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are present in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Each year, over two,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed within the United States, lots of of which finish up being terminal.
While there is no one-size-fits-all cure for mesothelioma, researchers & doctors have been working on different treatments to help make this rare kind of cancer more manageable. Currently, treatment for mesothelioma usually depends on the location, stage, general health & age of the mesothelioma patient. From that point, patients may get or more of a mix of treatments that involve surgical procedure, radiation and/or chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is thought about a palliative treatment modality which means that it can help reduce the signs of mesothelioma & perhaps the size of the tumors, but it is not healing. Within the last decade, chemotherapy containing cisplatin-antifolate combinations has been shown to improve responses & prolong survival in mesothelioma patients. Based on the successes shown in clinical trials, a trio of research scientists in The Netherlands launched their own population-based study to "assess the impact of this development on clinical practice & survival at a population-based level."
Does Chemotherapy Treatment Work? Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
The study focused on four,731 Dutch patients diagnosed with mesothelioma between 1995 & 2006. For the periods 1995-1998 & 2005-2006, the use of chemotherapy to treat mesothelioma jumped from 8% to 36%. Simultaneously, median survival for chemotherapy-treated patients increased from ten.1 months in earlier years to 13.1 months in more recent years. The researchers summarized their findings by stating that increased chemotherapy use at the national level did improve survival rates of mesothelioma patients, but they also cautioned that there may still be alternative explanations as to why this is the case.
Alimta & Cisplatin-Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
Cisplatin is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug marketed as Platinol & used to treat a variety of different cancers, including mesothelioma, some carcinomas such as small cell lung cancer & ovarian cancer, lymphomas & germ cell tumors. Inside cancer cells, cisplatin & other platinum-based drugs trigger cell death, killing the cancerous cells. In the United States, the platinum-based drug, cisplatin, is usually combined with another drug, Alimta, for treating mesothelioma. Alimta is an antifolate drug, which works by blocking the activity of folic acid inside cells interfering with cellular metabolism.
The FDA approved the Alimta and cisplatin combination after a clinical trial demonstrated that the drugs were more effective than drug. In the July 2003 edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology the published results reported a median survival time of 12.1 months for mesothelioma patients who received Alimta & cisplatin versus 9.3 months for the mesothelioma patients who received cisplatin. The researchers also found that the addition of folic acid & vitamin B12 helped to reduce the toxicity of the drugs without adversely affecting survival time.
It is the hope that as research continues there will also continue to be better options (& hopefully a cure) for those who suffer from mesothelioma.
Disclaimer: Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
The information in this news story is for educational & informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this news story.
While there is no one-size-fits-all cure for mesothelioma, researchers & doctors have been working on different treatments to help make this rare kind of cancer more manageable. Currently, treatment for mesothelioma usually depends on the location, stage, general health & age of the mesothelioma patient. From that point, patients may get or more of a mix of treatments that involve surgical procedure, radiation and/or chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy is thought about a palliative treatment modality which means that it can help reduce the signs of mesothelioma & perhaps the size of the tumors, but it is not healing. Within the last decade, chemotherapy containing cisplatin-antifolate combinations has been shown to improve responses & prolong survival in mesothelioma patients. Based on the successes shown in clinical trials, a trio of research scientists in The Netherlands launched their own population-based study to "assess the impact of this development on clinical practice & survival at a population-based level."
Does Chemotherapy Treatment Work? Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
The study focused on four,731 Dutch patients diagnosed with mesothelioma between 1995 & 2006. For the periods 1995-1998 & 2005-2006, the use of chemotherapy to treat mesothelioma jumped from 8% to 36%. Simultaneously, median survival for chemotherapy-treated patients increased from ten.1 months in earlier years to 13.1 months in more recent years. The researchers summarized their findings by stating that increased chemotherapy use at the national level did improve survival rates of mesothelioma patients, but they also cautioned that there may still be alternative explanations as to why this is the case.
Alimta & Cisplatin-Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
Cisplatin is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug marketed as Platinol & used to treat a variety of different cancers, including mesothelioma, some carcinomas such as small cell lung cancer & ovarian cancer, lymphomas & germ cell tumors. Inside cancer cells, cisplatin & other platinum-based drugs trigger cell death, killing the cancerous cells. In the United States, the platinum-based drug, cisplatin, is usually combined with another drug, Alimta, for treating mesothelioma. Alimta is an antifolate drug, which works by blocking the activity of folic acid inside cells interfering with cellular metabolism.
The FDA approved the Alimta and cisplatin combination after a clinical trial demonstrated that the drugs were more effective than drug. In the July 2003 edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology the published results reported a median survival time of 12.1 months for mesothelioma patients who received Alimta & cisplatin versus 9.3 months for the mesothelioma patients who received cisplatin. The researchers also found that the addition of folic acid & vitamin B12 helped to reduce the toxicity of the drugs without adversely affecting survival time.
It is the hope that as research continues there will also continue to be better options (& hopefully a cure) for those who suffer from mesothelioma.
Disclaimer: Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
The information in this news story is for educational & informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this news story.
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