Chemotherapy Regimen Promising for Meso Sufferers

April 13, 2006 - A recent article published in the journal Lung Cancer notes the success of a particular sequence of chemotherapy drugs which can be used to improve the quality of life for patients with asbestos-related malignant pleural mesothelioma.  Researchers noted that a sequential administration of chemotherapy including cisplatin (Platinol®) and gemcitabine (Gemzar®) followed by mitoxantrone (Novantrone®), methotrexate (Rheumatrex®), and mitomycin (Mutamycin®) could help relieve some of the symptoms of mesothelioma that make life so difficult for those stricken with the disease.  These symptoms include pain, fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, and the inability to eat.

Because mesothelioma is so often undiagnosed until the disease reaches advanced stages, surgery is rarely an option; therefore, other ways to relieve suffering are continuously sought by those in the field of cancer research.  Traditionally, chemo and radiation have had little effect on the disease as well, so doctors are delighted with the discovery of this successful regimen.

The research on the success of this regimen, conducted in Italy using 54 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, yielded the following results:

• 30% of patients achieved a complete or partial disappearance of cancer.
• 60% of patients’ disease stabilized.
• The median time to cancer progression was 9.5 months.
• The median duration of survival was over one year (13 months).
• Survival at one year was 63%.
• Over half of the patients treated had improvements in pain and shortness of breath.

Further clinical trials will be conducted comparing the success of this regimen to other chemotherapy drugs.  Patients interested in learning more about participating in these trials should speak to their doctor and/or consult the National Cancer Institute’s website at www.cancer.gov