Japan Study Finds Standard Chemotherapy Still Best Hope for Mesothelioma
The long-standing chemotherapy combination of cisplatin and pemetrexed will remain the front-line treatment regimen for mesothelioma patients in the foreseeable future, despite recent efforts to develop newer and more effective drugs.
Nothing better has emerged.
Researchers at the Shizuoka Cancer Center and Juntendo University in Japan recently concluded that the cisplatin/pemetrexed (Alimta) combination remains the best choice.
"It should continue to be the standard, front-line chemotherapeutic regimen for inoperable MPM (malignant pleural mesothelioma)," wrote the authors of the March study, published in Respiratory I...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - March 28, 2014 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tim Povtak Tags: Treatment & Doctors Source Type: news
Adult cancer drugs show promise against an aggressive childhood brain tumor
The quest to improve survival of children with a high-risk brain tumor has investigators to two drugs already used to treat adults with breast, pancreatic, lung and other cancers. Researchers demonstrated that the drugs pemetrexed and gemcitabine killed cells from mouse and human brain tumors, called group 3 medulloblastoma, growing in the laboratory. Medulloblastoma is diagnosed in about 400 children annually in the U.S., making it the most common pediatric brain tumor. (Source: ScienceDaily Headlines)
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - March 27, 2014 Category: Science Source Type: news
Surviving Mesothelioma Reports on New Alimta Study
Japanese researchers say the drug Alimta (pemetrexed) in combination with cisplatin should remain the top first-line treatment for malignant pleural mesothelioma.(PRWeb March 24, 2014)Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/03/prweb11685103.htm (Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals)
Source: PRWeb: Medical Pharmaceuticals - March 24, 2014 Category: Pharmaceuticals Source Type: news
Pineapple Extract Enhances Chemo Effectiveness on Mesothelioma Cells
A future cancer treatment may have emerged with the recent discovery that bromelain, a pineapple extract, can improve the effectiveness of cisplatin
chemotherapy on peritoneal mesothelioma tumor cells.
Bromelain is an enzyme found in the stem and the juice of a pineapple. It has been part of the natural, alternative medicine culture for many years, dating back centuries in Central and South
America.
The pineapple enzyme may be close to moving into the realm of more conventional medicine in a very significant way, thanks to recent, groundbreaking
research at the University of New South Wales in Austra...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - January 10, 2014 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tim Povtak Tags: Treatment & Doctors Source Type: news
New Drug Shows Promise in Killing Mesothelioma Tumor Cells
There may be help on the horizon for future pleural mesothelioma patients needing an effective, first-line systemic chemotherapy regimen that doesn't exist
today.
The latest laboratory breakthrough could give them a much better chance at survival.
A recently completed study of panobinostat, a new experimental drug, in combination with the standard cisplatin, showed promising results in killing mesothelioma tumor cells
without harming the healthy ones, along with eliminating the often troubling side effects.
The study, published in Genetics and Molecular Research, was conducted in
Ankara, Turkey...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - December 19, 2013 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tim Povtak Tags: Research & Clinical Trials Source Type: news
Unexpected toxicity of pazopanib/pemetrexed in NSCLC halts study
A phase II study comparing first-line combination pazopanib/pemetrexed chemotherapy with the standard cisplatin/pemetrexed treatment in non-small-cell lung cancer was terminated early owing to an increased frequency of adverse events in the experimental arm. (Source: MedWire News - Oncology)
Source: MedWire News - Oncology - December 17, 2013 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news
Unexpected toxicity of pazopanib/pemetrexed in NSCLC halts study
A phase II study comparing first-line combination pazopanib/pemetrexed chemotherapy with the standard cisplatin/pemetrexed treatment in non-small-cell lung cancer was terminated early owing to an increased frequency of adverse events in the experimental arm. (Source: MedWire News - Lung Cancer)
Source: MedWire News - Lung Cancer - December 17, 2013 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news
Pemetrexed, paclitaxel regimens equally effective in NSCLC
PointBreak trial results suggest that pemetrexed- and paclitaxel-based chemotherapy offer comparable survival outcomes and tolerability for patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but with differing toxicity profiles. (Source: MedWire News - Oncology)
Source: MedWire News - Oncology - December 10, 2013 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news
Pemetrexed, paclitaxel regimens equally effective in NSCLC
PointBreak trial results suggest that pemetrexed- and paclitaxel-based chemotherapy offer comparable survival outcomes and tolerability for patients with advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but with differing toxicity profiles. (Source: MedWire News - Lung Cancer)
Source: MedWire News - Lung Cancer - December 10, 2013 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news
High Dose Radiation with Pleurectomy Shows Promise in Controlling Mesothelioma
High dose radiation therapy, as a follow-up to aggressive pleurectomy/decortication surgery for patients with pleural mesothelioma, has produced impressive results in a recent Italian study.
Researchers in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano, in northern Italy, reported a median survival rate of 33 months for the 20 consecutive patients enrolled at the cancer
institute.
"We think our approach is a concrete alternative option for the cure of MPM (malignant pleural mesothelioma)," lead researcher Emilio Minatel, M.D., told Asbestos.com. "We have very encouragin...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - December 3, 2013 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tim Povtak Tags: Research & Clinical Trials Source Type: news
Alimta Has Only Slight Edge in Lung Cancer (CME/CE)
(MedPage Today) -- An induction and maintenance regimen based on pemetrexed (Alimta) slightly delayed progression in late-stage nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer but had no impact on overall survival compared with a paclitaxel-based regimen, a trial showed. (Source: MedPage Today Hematology/Oncology)
Source: MedPage Today Hematology/Oncology - October 21, 2013 Category: Hematology Source Type: news
Government Shutdown Doesn't Stop Mesothelioma Cancer Care at NIH
Mesothelioma cancer patients being treated at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) already enrolled in a clinical trial are not being affected by the partial federal government shutdown that began earlier this week.
Although 75 percent of the staff – an estimated 14,000 employees – has been put on temporary leave because of the shutdown, more than 1,400 ongoing clinical trials, covering a myriad of diseases, are continuing, according to National Institutes of Health spokesman John Burklow.
"Our patient care will continue," assured another NIH employee.
Although the shutdown won't affect those already receiving tre...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - October 3, 2013 Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tim Povtak Tags: Mesothelioma Source Type: news
Pemetrexed-erlotinib shows second-line efficacy in advanced NSCLC
Combination therapy with pemetrexed and erlotinib significantly improves progression-free survival as compared with either drug alone in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer, a phase II study has found. (Source: MedWire News - Lung Cancer)
Source: MedWire News - Lung Cancer - September 9, 2013 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news
Pemetrexed-erlotinib shows second-line efficacy in advanced NSCLC
Combination therapy with pemetrexed and erlotinib significantly improves progression-free survival as compared with either drug alone in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer, a phase II study has found. (Source: MedWire News - Oncology)
Source: MedWire News - Oncology - September 9, 2013 Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news
Pemetrexed-erlotinib shows second-line efficacy in advanced NSCLC
Combination therapy with pemetrexed and erlotinib significantly improves progression-free survival as compared with either drug alone in patients with advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer, a phase II study has found. (Source: MedWire News - Respiratory)
Source: MedWire News - Respiratory - September 9, 2013 Category: Respiratory Medicine Source Type: news
