Mesothelioma Help Cancer News
New Drugs Rally Immune System to Fight Cancer
For many years, cancer researchers have questioned why the immune system doesn’t react to cancer cells as invaders and attack them. A deepening understanding of genetic drivers of disease reveals that the cancerous tumors take over the brake control on the immune system.
A recent article in The Wall Street Journal underscores the advances being made in new drugs that release the brake and allow the immune system to fight various forms of cancer, including cancers associated with asbestos exposure.
For Tom Stutz, a 72-year-old retired lawyer in California, taking each breath was a struggle and even doing simple tasks such as eating a meal required help as cancer advanced in his lungs and liver. In April, Stutz, who was confined to a wheelchair, began taking an experimental drug known as MK-3475 that reactivated his immune system to fight cancer. Today, Mr. Stutz is walking 3.5 miles a day, has parked his wheelchair, and reports feeling terrific, according to The Wall Street Journal article about innovative medical treatments. Doctors informed Mr. Stutz in the fall that his tumors had shrunk by 65 percent.
MK-3475, which has not yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is under development by Merck & Co. It is among a class of drugs known as PD-1 inhibitors. The drugs disrupt the ability of cancer to hijack the immune system and boosts the immune response to certain cancers. In testing the drug on patients with metastatic melanoma, researchers reported in November that about 9 percent of patients who took the drug has no observable cancer after 12 weeks while half of the study participants had tumor shrinkage.
Merck is currently recruiting cancer patients to participate in clinical trials to study the safety and tolerability of the drug to treat several forms of cancer including non-small cell lung cancer, one of the cancers associated with asbestos exposure. You can find contact information about the clinical trial here.
Science Shows Empathy from Doctors Can Lead to Happier, Healthier Mesothelioma Patients
In an article posted earlier this month, it was noted that medical providers in the UK are encouraged to be cognizant of the impact their words can have on their patients. When telling a patient of his newly-diagnosed mesothelioma, for example, the doctors are encouraged to walk in their mesothelioma patient’s shoes to understand the repercussions their words could have. Now, researchers report empathy from physicians can lead to “happier patients with better health outcomes.”
It is well known in the medical community that when a mesothelioma patient’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are all addressed during treatment, the person’s quality of life is improved, which in turn, improves the response to their treatments. In effect, focusing on the power of the mind-body connection can be beneficial to the patient.
Researchers from Michigan State University can now back this up through a small scientific study of patients after discussions with doctors. They found that “a doctor-patient relationship built on trust and empathy doesn’t just put patients at ease — it actually changes the brain’s response to stress and increases pain tolerance.”
The research team, led by Issidoros Sarinopoulos, professor of radiology at MSU, randomly assigned patients to doctor-patient interviews that were either patient-centered or clinical focused. Each patient was then given a post-interview questionnaire and an MRI scan along with a series of mild electric shocks.
When doctors spoke with patients taking a patient-focused approach allowing the patients to speak freely about their lifestyle and other psychological and social factors affecting their health, the patients reported greater satisfaction and confidence in their doctor in the questionnaire than did their counterparts who had a clinical discussion with their doctor. In addition, during the MRI scan where the patient-focused group was subjected to discomfort through the shocks, the researchers found less activity in the part of their brains that makes people aware of pain.
“Medicine has for too long focused just on the physical dimensions of the patient,” said Robert Smith, professor of medicine at MSU who co-authored the paper. “Those clinical questions are important and necessary, but we’re trying to demonstrate that when you let patients tell their story in an unfettered way, you get more satisfied patients who end up healthier.”
The study was published in the journal Patient Education and Counseling.
Mesothelioma Patients Take the Time to Enjoy the Simple Pleasures of the Holiday
Today, many people across the country are celebrating the holiday season with family and friends. Mesothelioma patients and their families are more than likely taking a little extra time to appreciate the simple pleasures of the day. Whether it is enjoying the lights of the season, a light snow falling, a fire in the fireplace or the bite of a delicious cookie, taking the time to “smell the roses” can ease some of the stress of the season.
Although, when undergoing treatment for mesothelioma, the appointments don’t stop during the holiday season, patients that take the time to forget about their disease for just a day will feel a little more relaxed when they return to their treatment routine.
If you have a friend or a loved one suffering from a serious illness, consider taking the time to send a hand-written card, deliver a homemade treat or simply stop by for a short visit to let them know you are thinking of them.
While many factors determine survival for a mesothelioma patient, such as treatment plan and overall health and fitness of the patient, physicians also believe that a positive outlook and affirming thoughts can result in the improvement in a patient’s health. Mesothelioma patients should use the holiday cheer to help raise their mood and lower their anxiety level.
Happy Holidays.
Moving on with Life After a Year of Mesothelioma Treatment
Don Smitley and Jennifer Gelsick
Dad began his chemotherapy on March 19, 2012. His treatments were alimta and cisplatin; it was four treatments, 21 days apart, ending on May 21. During this time, he also had a port installed to make things a little easier. It was a scary time, not knowing the impact the chemo would have on Dad. Everyone is affected differently by the treatments.
Throughout the chemo, Dad continued to keep his positive attitude. He called me after the first one, saying, “One down, three to go!” Dad was very tired during this time, certain smells made him nauseous, and his stomach was uneasy more often than not. He just kept saying that no matter how bad it was, it could definitely have been worse.
Dad’s first scan was scheduled and we were all a nervous wreck. The oncologist treating Dad at home, came in and told them the good news, everything looked great! We celebrated the amazing news, the continuation of our miracle, and moved on to the next step we were hoping to take: a clinical trial.
We had been communicating with some people from the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, an amazing group dedicated to finding a cure for mesothelioma, and had gotten some information about a clinical trial in NYC offered through Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center with Dr. Lee Krug. There were strict criteria to be a part of this trial, and we were praying that Dad was a candidate.
We left for New York again on June 24 for an appointment with Dr. Krug. We were happy to find that Dad was a great candidate for the trial and it would begin two weeks later. The trial was a series of six vaccines that required trips to the city every two weeks. We knew it would be a long, busy summer, but we were so excited to have another treatment option to help keep Dad cancer free.
Dad had his next scan in NYC and got more amazing results! As a part of the trial, we will travel back every three months for two years, and every six months for a period of time after. He has received excellent care at MSKCC as well as NYU Langone and we are so blessed to have these doctors.
The journey we have traveled has been long and arduous, but miraculous at the same time. I hope that Dad, a walking miracle, will inspire people to turn to God and never give up hope. There is help for mesothelioma patients and my Dad is a testimony to that and to the power of prayer.
Thank you for allowing me to share this story with you. I have learned so much this year; never take anything for granted and always keep strong in your faith. Please keep Dad in your prayers, and be assured of mine for you. May you and your families have a blessed, Merry Christmas and a beautiful, healthy New Year!
Mesothelioma Survivor Pleads with Researchers to Find a Cure
Many people will say that when they were told they had mesothelioma it hit them like a bolt of lightning, leaving them shocked and depressed. Although many of the patients experienced symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue and fluid on the lungs at the time of their diagnosis, they assumed they had the flu, bronchitis or some other “simple” respiratory ailment. Jan Egerton, however, was practically relieved to learn she had mesothelioma. Even though she knew the disease was life-threatening, for her, knowing the source of her years of pain meant she could begin treatment.
Due to its similarity to other illnesses and the rarity of the disease, diagnosing mesothelioma is difficult. But Egerton endured seven years of excruciating pain, missed diagnosis, fear that she was losing her mind, and skepticism from doctors before finally finding one willing to work with her to identify the source of all her symptoms.
Egerton first began having pain in her back in 1998, and was finally diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma in August 2004. At that time, she was told she had just one year to live. Eight years later, Jan is a mesothelioma survivor.
Since her diagnosis, Jan said, she has been “on a mission to live as long as possible and, if I can buy more years, then I will.” Although Egerton has survived many years beyond her doctor’s prognosis, the road she has traveled has been extremely difficult. As a result, she is working hard to raise awareness of the “nasty cancer,” and to urge researchers to continue to focus on finding a cure and new treatments for the cancer. She is also reaching out to other mesothelioma patients and their families and is building a community of support among those dealing with the disease.
Egerton, who is now 52-years-old, lives in the UK with her husband and two dogs. She has carefully chronicled her journey and hopes that through her blog, “Mesothelioma – Jan’s Journey,” others facing a similar battle will know what to expect and will have someone to turn to for support.
Jan has had virtually every treatment option available to mesothelioma patients, and she has been completely open and honest through her blog in explaining the procedures and how her body has reacted to them. Beginning with her first surgery in ’04, Jan has also had VATS (video-assisted thoracic surgery), radiotherapy, chemotherapy (two full cycles), cryoablation and more surgery. Jan is now in the midst of her third round of chemotherapy.
Jan has seen too many of her friends succumb to the cancer, and her frustration continues to grow that there is no cure. And her ongoing treatments are a testament to the fact there is no effective method for stopping the recurrence of mesothelioma. “I hope and pray that something will be found to stop the dividing of these unnatural cells soon and this will then put an end to the many deaths we have through mesothelioma,” Egerton wrote in one recent blog entry.
Jan wants others to know that even though the battle against mesothelioma is difficult, others have been through it before and leaning on them is important for survival. “Don’t be alone in this battle … We are all here to help each other.”
Jan Egerton will periodically be offering her insight and information about mesothelioma treatments as well as information about the impact the disease has on people’s lives.
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.
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