Mesothelioma Immunotherapy Trial Involves Targeted Radiation

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City has opened a clinical trial for mesothelioma involving a combination of targeted radiation and the novel immunotherapy drug avelumab. Hopes are high for the first-of-its kind study. The trial will be conducted at Memorial Sloan Kettering’s main campus and regional sites. It is open to pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma patients. Radiation oncologist Dr. Andreas Rimner and medical oncologist Dr. Marjorie Zauderer are the lead investigators of the trial, which is expected to run through 2020. Avelumab is designed to block a specific protein (PD-L1) found on the surface of most mesothelioma tumor cells. The immunotherapy drug will be given through an IV every two weeks, along with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Individually, both treatments have shown success with mesothelioma and other cancers in previous studies. The hope is for a synergistic effect in combination. The doctors will be measuring an overall response rate. “The combination of radiation treatment and immunotherapy may be more effective against cancer than either radiation or immunotherapy alone,” reads the trial description on ClinicalTrials.gov. “It is thought that radiation treatment may create a form of ‘vaccine’ against cancer inside the body.” Previous Studies Show Effectiveness Dr. Raffit Hassan of the National Cancer Institute detailed the most recent study of avelumab’s effectiveness in treating mesothelioma. He foun...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: avelumab Chris Boshoff Dr. Andreas Rimner Dr. Kenneth Rosenzweig Dr. Marjorie Zauderer Dr. Raffit Hassan immunotherapy for mesothelioma immunotherapy radiation combination mesothelioma Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center mesothelioma Source Type: news