Mesothelioma Help Cancer News
Nurse Shares Patient’s Hope in His Mesothelioma Journey
In this age of instant communication, text, email, cell phone, it is nice to be able to talk face-to-face with mesothelioma patients and their families. It is a privilege to be included in a journey that changes their lives forever. For one couple, the sharing of their story and the approach they are taking to deal with mesothelioma is inspirational. Their journey, up to and including the diagnosis of mesothelioma, is one that is not unfamiliar.
Four to five months prior to getting the official diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma, the man was treated for pneumonia and shortness of breath. Once the diagnosis was made, he was told it was inoperable. They were told to return when the symptoms became problematic because there was nothing else to offer him.
Not satisfied with waiting, they turned to the internet for more information. Knowing that there is not a cure for mesothelioma, they searched for and found hope instead. The patient and his wife traveled to a large medical center for mesothelioma that sees more patients and could offer them other options. With many more tests and doctors, surgery was once again reviewed as an option, but once again, he was deemed inoperable.
They continue to hold out hope that someone will find something to offer him. During this time they have not let the weight of the diagnosis or the course of the disease take over their lives. They plan on continuing to search for treatment options that are suitable to his body and disease.
The patient knew where his asbestos exposure happened. As a young man, he worked in a shipyard to help pay his way through college. He has always been honest and hard-working and wanted to be successful. He achieved success, yet now his hard work seems to have come back to harm him. Moving forward, they are exploring chemotherapy, clinical trials, radiation, and are leaving their options open.
The couple’s journey has been a roller coaster. When they recently met a newly diagnosed patient their hearts went out to them, as they realize the roller coaster ride has just begun for them. They also know their are plenty of people out there to support them during their journey.
Mesothelioma Patients Seeking Treatment for Depression
Being diagnosed with mesothelioma, seeking treatment and living with the cancer, brings out a lot of different emotions. One of the conditions that can take over a mesothelioma journey is depression. Depression can appear at any point in the journey, and it can become a serious medical condition. The diagnosis and treatment, or lack of treatment, can have detrimental health consequences.
According to Cancer.net, some of the risk factors for depression include being previously diagnosed with depression or anxiety; a family history of depression and anxiety; financial burdens; and lack of support from friends and family. When dealing with a cancer diagnosis it is important to be aware of depression, and not to think it is part of the disease process.
Some of the common symptoms of depression are low energy, feelings of sadness that will not go away, frequent crying, fatigue and loss of motivation. The symptoms can be mild to severe. Severe depression can interfere with your personal relationships, your day-to-day activities and responsibilities.
In men, the symptoms of irritability and anger are more common than in women. Women tend to be more sad, and men more angry. Men are also not likely to identify the symptoms and, thus, are less likely to seek treatment for depression.
The treatment of depression can include psychotherapy, medication, exercise, and/or diet changes. It is important to recognize the symptoms of depression and seek help. Depression is treatable, and once treated can improve your quality of life. Seek help.
The place to start to ask for help can be your primary care doctor, or your mesothelioma team. Reach out – there is support available, and the sooner you are screened and diagnosed the sooner you can be on your way to feeling better. When dealing with mesothelioma it is important to have all the help and support needed that puts your physical and emotional health first. Depression is treatable- you can feel better!
Drug Targeting Biomarker Could Bring New, Personalized Treatment to Mesothelioma Patients
Last month, MesotheliomaHelp reported on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s first-ever approval of an immunotherapy drug that targets a particular biomarker, regardless of cancer type. Now, researchers report they have developed another anti-cancer drug that targets just one biomarker and that it has shown “dramatic antitumor effect” across all 17 cancer types tested.
In a report presented by David Hyman, M.D., Chief of the Early Drug Development Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting, researchers found that when the tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) biomarker was targeted by the experimental drug larotrectinib (LOXO-101) “the vast majority of both adults and children whose tumors have this [TRK] mutation” responded to the treatment.
Across three pivotal clinical trials covering 17 tumor types, larotrectinib resulted in a 76% overall response rate in 55 adult and pediatric cancer patients with the TRK mutation. According to the report, of those who responded, 89% were progression-free at the time the data were analyzed, indicating that the cancer had not gotten worse in those patients since starting treatment. These positive results “are potentially practice changing,” said the researchers.
“We are seeing the true potential of precision medicine come to life,” says Dr. Hyman, in a June 3 press release announcing the findings. “It’s groundbreaking to have such a consistent response across multiple cancer types.”
Dr. Hyman said that this is the first cancer therapy to be developed simultaneously in adults and children. He also added that in patients with a cancer carrying the TRK fusion, “it’s found in every cancer cell in that patient.”
Personalized medicine is considered one of the best ways to combat mesothelioma, an asbestos-caused cancer. Tailored care ensures a mesothelioma patient’s unique disease characteristics, including the cancer’s genetic makeup, are targeted when being treated. Research has shown that with targeted therapy success of the treatment is higher.
According to a 2014 article in ScienceDaily, the TRK gene was first identified in 1982, but researchers are only now focusing on the family of biomarkers as a target to treat cancers. The family of TRK genes, including NTRK1, NTRK2 and NTRK3, have shown up in many cancers, including lung, breast, and melanoma.
Dr. Hyman notes that the TRK fusions are rare within most individual cancers. Mesothelioma patients should work with their oncologist to determine if they are TRK positive and if there is a clinical trial that could work for them.
Both the FDA and European Medicines Agency have granted orphan drug designation for larotrectinib (LOXO-101) for treatment of patients with soft tissue sarcoma.
For more information about the LOX-101 clinical trials visit Loxo Oncology’s website, or read more about the NAVIGATE clinical trial at ClinicalTrials.gov.
Sources
- ClinicalTrials.gov
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=%22malignant+mesothelioma%22&recr=Open&pg=1 - Loxo Oncology’s website
https://www.loxooncology.com/patients-caregivers/our-clinical-trials - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
https://www.mskcc.org/blog/asco17-drug-targeting-genetic-mutation-works-across-all-tumor-types
Mesothelioma-Fighting Benefits Found in Osteoporosis Drug
In April, MesotheliomaHelp reported on the potential benefits of using a drug for the treatment of multiple sclerosis in the fight against mesothelioma. Now, researchers report a drug used in the treatment of osteoporosis may also help mesothelioma patients.
Researchers from the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham conducted a pilot study to evaluate the antitumor activity, duration of response, and progression-free survival of malignant pleural mesothelioma patients treated with zoledronic acid. Given as an intravenous infusion, zoledronic acid is used to treat osteoporosis, a condition characterized by low bone density, decreased bone strength and increased susceptibility to fractures.
The drug is also sometimes used with cancer chemotherapy treatments to treat bone problems that may occur with various cancers, including lung cancer, that have spread to the bones, according to WebMD. The drug lowers high blood calcium levels by reducing the amount of calcium released from the bones into the blood, as well as slowing the breakdown of bones by cancer, aiding in the prevention of bone fractures.
Preclinical studies showed that zoledronic acid could inhibit mesothelioma growth through apoptosis (cell death), and by inhibiting the growth of new blood vessels, as well as through other means. To assess these results, the researchers used zoledronic acid to treat eight patients with unresectable pleural mesothelioma who had progressed on prior treatments.
The team reported positive results including median progression-free survival of two months and median overall survival of seven months, with no toxicities in the patients. In addition, the team found that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) amounts “were predictive of favorable response.” VEGF is an autocrine growth factor released by mesothelioma cells, causing new blood vessels to form, and is shown to be higher in mesothelioma patients.
“Our pilot study suggests modest activity of zoledronic acid as a single agent in the treatment of mesothelioma and warrants further investigation in combination with other agents,” the researchers concluded.
Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer that invades the lining of the organs after exposure to asbestos. The disease can take decades to develop, but once diagnosed, patients often receive a prognosis of less than 18 months. However, effective treatment can improve survival and quality of life.
Using a drug already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration lessens the time and costs for approval of the same drug for other diseases.
To find out more, read the full study in Lung Cancer: Targets and Therapy.
NY Doctor Says Lingering Effects of 9/11 Terrorist Attacks May Impact Millions, Mesothelioma Cases Likely to Rise
Mesothelioma Help has reported numerous times on the long-term health effects many Americans face from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack in New York City. Now, a world renowned mesothelioma expert reports that millions may have a serious health issue as a result of the toxic dust fallout.
In a June 3 article in 9 News.com.au, Dr. Raja Flores of Mount Sinai Medical Center claims anyone who was in New York City during the collapse of the Twin Towers, and during the days following, could have been exposed to asbestos. He said NY doctors have seen more cancers and a higher number of patients with respiratory issues. Dr. Flores believes there could be a “double or tripling of the number of lung cancers in people who were in New York City on 9/11 and mesothelioma and people dying of pleural fibrosis from asbestos is.”
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining of the lungs linked to inhaling asbestos. According to reports, about 400 tons of asbestos were used in the twin towers, and upon the collapse, asbestos and other toxic substances such as mercury and lead were released into the air. Today, close to 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma each year.
“It [toxic dust] contaminated a huge portion of the city and that entire population was exposed,” Dr. Flores, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the Mount Sinai Hospital, NY, told nine.com.au. “In 15-20 years we are going to see a serious health issue here in New York. We haven’t even seen the tip of this iceberg yet.”
Expert Insight
“The US may be a few years away from a catastrophic national health crisis.”
Dr. Flores is a world renowned expert in mesothelioma, lung cancer, and esophageal cancer. He serves as Mount Sinai Cancer Center’s Chairman for the Department of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Flores conducted a landmark study in 2008, titled “Extra pleural Pneumonectomy versus Pleurectomy Decortication in the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma,” that was one of the most frequently cited studies from the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.
Access to Health Care Through James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and WTC Program
The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, passed in 2010, provides $4.3 billion in compensation and health monitoring services to rescue workers and NY residents harmed by toxic dust and smoke from the 9/11 attacks. The Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), created under the Zadroga Act, is operated under the Department of Justice. Through this, some cancer victims can file for compensation.
The act also established the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program. The WTC Health Program “offers annual monitoring, and treatment, including medication, at no cost, to eligible WTC workers and volunteers, for both physical and mental health conditions related to their WTC service.” It also provides health evaluations and treatment for survivors who were in the New York City disaster area.
To find out if you are eligible for support under the WTC Health Program visit http://www.cdc.gov/wtc/ or call 1-888-982-4748.
Anyone who has a WTC-related health condition, of which mesothelioma is one, the WTC Health Program’s healthcare providers will provide quality medical treatment for the patient. The program reports that the basis for adding mesothelioma to the list was due to exposure to chrysotile asbestos from the buildings. The program set a minimum latency of 11 years for mesothelioma for certification in the WTC Health Program. This minimum has now been exceeded making this cancer a real concern for many.
“It’s [asbestos] one of the most dangerous substances around. Every day I operate (I see) patients that have been affected by asbestos is. The safe amount of asbestos in the air for someone to inhale is zero. There’s no safe amount,” said Dr Flores.
According to Dr. Flores, having a low dose CAT yearly to see if you have any signs of asbestos exposure in your lungs is the best option for those present during the 9/11 tragedy.
Anyone who believes they may have been affected by the 9/11 events is encouraged to file any and all appropriate claims to ensure your health will be monitored and, in the event you become ill, you receive your share of the financial compensation set aside for victims.
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