Review Highlights Better Targets for Mesothelioma Therapy

A review on targeted therapies for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) provides fresh insight into why this cancer is so difficult to treat and ideas for improving outcomes. “Despite more than two decades of intensive research on the possible treatments for MPM, the results have so far been disappointing,” the authors wrote. According to the in-depth review, published in Critical Reviews in Hematology/Oncology, the next steps toward more tailored mesothelioma treatment will come from learning more about the changes driving abnormal cell communication. Researchers will use this information to personalize treatments based on characteristics of each patient’s unique tumor. “Improving our knowledge on the molecular changes and signaling pathways specific to MPM should help in the identification of biomarkers useful to develop personalized treatments based on the biological characteristics of each specific tumor ultimately offering better survival outcomes and quality of life for MPM patients,” the authors said. Current Treatment Landscape and Challenges Standard of care refers to treatment widely accepted as the best therapy for a particular disease. For mesothelioma, that is a combination of cisplatin and Alimta (pemetrexed), two chemotherapy drugs. Even though this option is available to most MPM patients, the average survival for this group is just 12 to 18 months. The authors identified dozens of genetic changes found in mesothelioma tumors. The most common one, c...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news