Successful clinical trials and other research procedures have presented many new treatments for those suffering from mesothelioma. Some of the most recent successful trials and tests include:
Alimta - This chemotherapy medication has shown great promise in treating mesothelioma patients during clinical trials. Currently, it is now the only FDA-approved medication designated specifically for the treatment of asbestos-caused cancer and is most successful when combined with an older chemotherapy platinum agent known as Cisplatin.
Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy - Scientists tested this form of radiation therapy to determine whether or not they could succeed in sparing more healthy tissue around the affected area. This treatment is more precise and allows higher doses to be aimed at the cancerous organ while protecting normal adjacent tissue. This unique form of radiation therapy has also allowed doctors to treat tumors that are tangled with vital organs.
Gene Therapy - Clinical trials often involve less conventional therapies that are considered to be cutting-edge. Gene therapy uses laboratory-modified viruses to prompt the body to activate its immune system and destroy cancer cells. Numerous clinical trials for gene therapy continue.
Bio markers - After extensive periods of research, Fujirebio Diagnostics was able to devise a simple blood test to check for bio markers that might indicate the development of mesothelioma in its earliest stages.
Sources:
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_4X_Clinical_Trials_29.asp?sitearea=
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/malignantmesothelioma
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/medical_community/case_studies/
Dodson, R. and Hammar, S. Asbestos: Risk Assessment, Epidemiology, and Health Effects. Taylor & Francis: Boca Raton. 2006.
Parker, J. and Parker, P. Mesothelioma. ICON Health Publications: San Diego. 2004.
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