Month: April 2017
Mesothelioma Patients Hopeful After Anti-Cancer Drug Alectinib Was “Superior” to Crizotinib for Some Lung Cancer Patients
In Dec. 2015 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Alecensa (alectinib) for the treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small cell lung cancer in patients who have progressed on or are intolerant to Xalkori (crizotinib). Now, results from a global phase III clinical trial show alectinib, when used as a first-line treatment, “significantly reduced the risk of disease worsening or death compared to crizotinib in ALK-positive NSCLC patients.”
According to an April 10 press release from Roche, the maker of Alecensa, the ALEX study led the researchers to conclude, “Alecensa was superior as an initial treatment compared to crizotinib in this type [ALK-positive] of lung cancer.” In addition, patients did not experience any unexpected adverse side effects.
“Our goal is to transform the standard of care and we are excited to share these results with the lung cancer community”, said Sandra Horning, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development. “As part of its Breakthrough Therapy Designation, we hope to bring Alecensa as an initial treatment for people with ALK-positive NSCLC as soon as possible and will discuss these data with global health authorities.”
Pfizer, the maker of Xalkori, reports that about three to five percent of people with NSCLC may test positive for ALK. There is a possibility that the marker is also present in certain pleural mesothelioma cases making Alecensa a treatment option for the disease. Lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma patients often undergo the same treatment protocol.
Alecensa is an oral medication that blocks the activity of the ALK protein, which may prevent cancer cells from growing and spreading. In the results, the team reports the “results showed that people treated with Alecensa lived significantly longer without their disease progressing compared to crizotinib when given as initial (first-line) treatment.”
Pleural mesothelioma is a rare form of lung cancer that invades the outer lining of the lungs called the mesothelium. The only known cause of mesothelioma is through inhalation or ingestion of airborne asbestos fibers.
Alecensa, with its target of patients with a specific biomarker, continues the progress towards personalized care that could benefit the nearly 3,000 patients in the U.S. diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. Medical care targeted to a patient’s unique characteristics and genetic makeup optimizes the potential for success of the treatment and offers treatment options that may not otherwise have been considered.
If you believe Alecensa could help you in your mesothelioma care, talk to your doctor, or visit Alecensa.com.
To find out more about the ALEX clinical trial see ClinicalTrials.gov.
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=%22malignant+mesothelioma%22&recr=Open&pg=1
Sources
- (April 10 press release from) Roche
http://www.roche.com/media/store/releases/med-cor-2016-09-01.htm
Some Immune Cells Thought to Help Fight Mesothelioma and Other Cancers May Actually Aid Metastasis
The National Cancer Society reports that 90 percent of all cancer deaths occur when the cancer cells migrate beyond the primary cancer site to distant organs. Stopping tumor growth and preventing metastasis is especially critical for increasing survival in mesothelioma and other cancer patients. Now, researchers believe they have found yet another way cancer cells spread throughout a patient’s body.
According to an April 6 press release from the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University (http://jagwire.augusta.edu/archives/43129), a team of researchers report that while cytokines are primarily useful in helping fight cancer, they found that they can also lead to cancer metastasis. These “immature” immune cells may be hijacked by cancer cells to help the cancer spread beyond its primary site.
“There is a very intricate balance in the immune system that is usually anti-tumorigenic, meaning it eliminates tumors, but in some cases, if this balance is altered, these cells may actually help tumors grow and develop into full-blown metastatic disease,” said Dr. Hasan Korkaya, molecular and cancer biologist at the Georgia Cancer Center and Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.
Cancer spreads through the blood stream, but when cancer cells break free they have to get past the immune system where they are attacked and broken down. According to the researchers, the cancer cells use myeloid-derived suppressive cells (MDSCs) that come from the bone marrow, like a support system to dodge the immune system and metastasize.
The researchers note that MDSCs have been shown to suppress the immune system, however, their discovery that they also enable the spread of cancer is surprising. MDSCs seem to be directed by the cytokines secreted by the tumor. Cytokines, typically secreted by the immune system, can influence other cell types. The researchers found that tumors can also secrete cytokines that then signal the immature MDSCs to support the cancer growth.
“They are being schooled toward facilitating tumor cell growth and metastasis,” Korkaya said. The tumors continue to control the cytokines, according to the researchers, to keep the MDSCs from maturing, thus they can keep using them to grow the cancer.
In a recent study one researcher said, “Metastasis is currently incurable and remains one of the key targets of cancer research.” The physicians and patients in the mesothelioma community hope the researchers at Augusta University continue this line of research to help bring a solution to halting cancer’s uncontrolled growth.
Mesothelioma is diagnosed in close to 3,000 Americans each year. There is no cure for the asbestos-caused cancer.
To find out more, read the full study in the Feb. 20 issue of Nature Communications. http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160524/ncomms11734/full/ncomms11734.html
Enjoy the Beauty of Easter Season
The Easter season is upon us once again, and with it comes a time of hope, beauty, and renewed faith. Now is a wonderful time to sit and reflect on what this time can mean to someone, and their family, battling mesothelioma.
It is a great time to look around you and count your many blessings. Take a look at your loved ones and be sure to recognize their love for you as well. The weather is turning warmer; spend some time outside and look at God’s beautiful creation!
It is so important to take the time to realize that families who are faced with a mesothelioma diagnosis are still very real people. They should never be defined by this disease, nor should they be treated differently. Allow yourself to be close to them, invite them to take a walk or go for a drive in the warmth of nature. Ask them if they would like some company, but always let them dictate the length of the visit; they may be tired, or they may feel like chatting for hours!
New life abounds in so many ways at this season of the year; remember that in every season of life, there is beauty to be found.
Meditation as One Way to Cope With the Stress of the Disease
If you or a family member has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or any cancer, most people would advise you to go to a center where the medical team treats a lot of patients with your type of cancer. While deciding on how and where to get treatment, don’t forget to take into account your “whole” person.
There are many options available to help patients cope with the stressful diagnosis of cancer. The official term used to describe therapies and botanicals that are used along with traditional medical therapy is ‘Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM).’ According to the National Cancer Institute’s web site, a 2007 National Health Interview Survey reports about four out of ten adults use CAM therapy, with the most commonly used treatments being natural products and deep breathing exercises. In 2017, it would seem that this number would have risen significantly.
While being treated for mesothelioma it is important to take care of yourself both physically and mentally. One of the ways could be meditating to help turn down the noise in your head.
According to Psychology Today, meditation is the practice of turning your attention to a single point of reference. It can involve focusing on the breath, on bodily sensations, or on a word or phrase known as a mantra. In other words, meditation means turning your attention away from distracting thoughts and focusing on the present moment.
Meditation can be done in most settings. There are many types of meditation, but they have common elements to them. Two types of meditation are concentrative meditation and mindful meditation. Concentrative meditation teaches individuals to focus on a single image, sound or mantra, or even their own breathing. In mindful meditation, the person does not focus attention on a single thing but becomes more aware of any and all thoughts, feelings, sounds or images that may pass through your mind. The point is to let them pass through and not dwell on them.
The different types of meditation have four elements a person meditating should seek: a quiet place with as few distractions as possible; a comfortable position; something to focus on, possibly an object, a special word; and an open mind- letting things go through your mind and letting them go.
Whatever therapy you decide works for you, learn about it and give it a try. You never know what alternative therapy will work for you.
Global Asbestos Awareness Week
Last week was Global Asbestos Awareness Week. The week is dedicated to educating people about the risks of exposure to asbestos. Since 2004, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization has worked with the Senate to pass 12 resolutions declaring the first week in April Awareness Week. “Hear Asbestos Think Prevention,” educates the public about the continued dangers of asbestos. It is important to understand that asbestos related diseases are 100% preventable.
The leading cause of malignant mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. As we all know, asbestos is not banned in the United States. Alerting people to that fact can only help spread the word that asbestos is still a health hazard in the U.S.
As researchers, scientists and doctors all continue their quest to find a cure for mesothelioma, the fact is that people are still being exposed to asbestos. The time from exposure to asbestos to the development of this aggressive disease is decades – by not banning the use of asbestos, we assure that this dreaded, aggressive cancer will continue to claim victims for many years to come.
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization continues to work relentlessly against the political tide to get this issue taken care of. What will it take for asbestos to be banned? The fact that asbestos continues to kill more than 190,000 people worldwide each year does not seem to be enough.
As you go about your usual busy lives, make it a point to tell your friends and family about the facts behind asbestos exposure in the U.S. Spread the word and support the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization.
Free Mesothelioma Patient & Treatment Guide
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