Chemotherapy Helps Mesothelioma Survival?

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant (cancerous) cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that covers most of the body's internal organs. Each year, more than 2,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed within the United States, many of which end up being terminal.

While there is no one-size-fits-all cure for mesothelioma, researchers and doctors have been working on different treatments to help make this rare form of cancer more manageable. Currently, treatment for mesothelioma generally depends on the location, stage, general health and age of the mesothelioma patient. From that point, patients may receive one or more of a combination of treatments that involve surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.

Does Chemotherapy Treatment Work?

Chemotherapy is considered a palliative treatment modality which means that it can help reduce the symptoms of mesothelioma and perhaps the size of the tumors, but it is not curative. Within the last decade, chemotherapy containing cisplatin-antifolate combinations has been shown to improve responses and prolong survival in mesothelioma patients. Based on the successes shown in clinical trials, a trio of research scientists in The Netherlands launched their own population-based study to "assess the impact of this development on clinical practice and survival at a population-based level."

The study focused on 4,731 Dutch patients diagnosed with mesothelioma between 1995 and 2006. For the periods 1995-1998 and 2005-2006, the use of chemotherapy to treat mesothelioma jumped from 8% to 36%. At the same time, median survival for chemotherapy-treated patients increased from 10.1 months in earlier years to 13.1 months in more recent years. The researchers summarized their findings by stating that increased chemotherapy use at the national level did improve survival rates of mesothelioma patients, but they also cautioned that there may still be alternative explanations as to why this is the case.

Alimta and Cisplatin

Cisplatin is a platinum-based chemotherapy drug marketed as Platinol and used to treat a number of different cancers, including mesothelioma, some carcinomas such as small cell lung cancer and ovarian cancer, lymphomas and germ cell tumors. Inside cancer cells, cisplatin and other platinum-based drugs trigger cell death, killing the cancerous cells. In the United States, the platinum-based drug, cisplatin, is usually combined with another drug, Alimta, for treating mesothelioma. Alimta is an antifolate drug, which works by blocking the activity of folic acid inside cells interfering with cellular metabolism.

The FDA approved the Alimta plus cisplatin combination after a clinical trial demonstrated that the two drugs were more effective than one drug. In the July 2003 edition of the Journal of Clinical Oncology the published results reported a median survival time of 12.1 months for mesothelioma patients who received Alimta and cisplatin versus 9.3 months for the mesothelioma patients who just received cisplatin. The researchers also found that the addition of folic acid and vitamin B12 helped to reduce the toxicity of the drugs without adversely affecting survival time.

It is the hope that as research continues there will also continue to be better alternatives (and hopefully a cure) for those who suffer from mesothelioma.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

Myra D. Foreman writes for Surviving Mesothelioma. This is the only website where this important book is available for free. The book is written by Paul Kraus who was diagnosed with mesothelioma more than a decade ago and is still enjoying life today

What Are the Survival Rates For Stage 4 Lung Cancer?

There are many different aspects to consider when estimating the life expectancy of a Stage 4 lung cancer patient. Lung cancer is usually broken down into four main stages:

Stage 1 - The cancer is small and localized in only one area of the lung.

Stages 2 and 3 - The cancer is larger and may have grown into the surrounding tissues, where cancer cells may be found in the lymph nodes.

Stage 4 - The cancer has spread outside the lung to another part of the body (secondary or metastatic cancer).

When Stage 4 of the disease has been reached, the cancer is no longer contained within the lung, and has spread to one or more parts of the body, either through the bloodstream, or the lymph system (a collection of vessels that carry fluid and immune system cells).

Stage 4 of the disease is therefore the most dangerous and life threatening stage for a patient. Because lung cancer usually takes many years slowly growing in the body before it is diagnosed, Stage 4 of the disease is the most commonly found in a patient.

The survival rate (the life expectancy of a Stage 4 patient) can vary from patient to patient, making it difficult to give an exact figure. These different variables can be broken down into the following:

No. 1 The particular type of lung cancer, and its exact location. Stage 4 lung cancer consists of several different types of cancer, and includes those that have not just spread to one other part of the body, but those that have also spread to various parts.

No. 2 The sex of a patient is an important factor, as a woman has a higher survival rate through each stage of the disease than a man does.

No. 3 The condition of the patient (health wise) has a large bearing on the life expectancy of a patient. A healthy patient has a greater life expectancy due to being able to withstand better the different stages of treatment.

No. 4 A younger patient is likely to survive longer than an older patient, as the bodies organs are usually more responsive to treatment, and are usually in a better condition.

No. 5 The ability to respond to different treatments such as Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy, Stereotatic Body Radiosurgery, or even Surgery, is another factor to consider.

No. 6 A patient who suffers from other conditions, such as emphysema (damaged air spaces within the lungs), may also have a lower Stage 4 life expectancy.

No. 7 Complications during the various treatments of a patient will help decide how long a patient may or may not live, after all the treatments are finished.

After taking all of these factors into account, the average survival rate for a lung cancer patient could be considered to be five years or less, from the time of diagnosis.

Philip Albert Edmonds-Hunt is from the County of Oxfordshire in the United Kingdom. He has travelled most of Europe, and he has lived in Spain on more than one occasion. Philip has also travelled much of the USA and now lives and works as a Freelance Writer and English Teacher in Mexico. He is the owner of "The Oxford Quill," a small but reliable business offering a range of services such as, "Professional Article Writing, Proofreading, and Website Design." If you are interested in reading more about how to treat lung cancer, check out: https://sites.google.com/site/theoxfordquill/how-to-treat-lung-cancer-caused-by-melanoma

Tri Modal Asbestosis Treatments And Improved Mesothelioma Survival

Latest advances in the development of combined surgical, radiotherapy and palliative procedures used in the treatment of mesothelioma have helped to increase individual patient longevity by several months and even 1-2 years are not unknown in specific instances.

However, a complete cure for the deadly asbestosis cancer has yet to be fully realised. Survival rates from confirmed diagnosis tend to be around 4 to 12 months because, invariably, the disease is at an advanced stage and has spread to adjacent tissue cells or 'distant' organs.

A recent case involving a South American woman who was treated in Italy, and according to the Italian doctors "... shows a disease-free survival interval of 4 years for malignant pleural mesothelioma" and thus, is key evidence for an improved prognosis.

With a three year time limit from confirmed diagnosis for an asbestosis lawyer to make a mesothelioma claim on behalf of the patient, it could undoubtedly be of significance in future mesothelioma compensation cases and help towards providing a better quality of life for a surviving patient and their family.

Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are established 'tri-modal' asbestosis treatments used in fighting the fatal tumours that form in the linings of the lungs ( pleural mesothelioma) or within the membrane surrounding the heart (pericardial mesothelioma). Chemotherapy is used with the aim of reducing the mesothelioma, surgery to remove the diseased tissue, and radiotherapy to prevent a return of the cancer cells.

There is an exceptionally long gestation period of up to 40 or 50 years from an original exposure and breathing in of the asbestos fibres to the appearance of the first asbestosis symptoms or signs of mesothelioma. Often the victim is elderly or in poor health or has a history of smoking and survival rates are likely to be considerably reduced.

Previous research has confirmed that if the disease is diagnosed at an early stage or if the patient is younger, there is a higher probability of surviving mesothelioma for longer. In the present case, the woman was young and admitted to hospital with the usual, non-specific symptoms including, shortness of breath.

Prior to surgery, two cycles of chemotherapy were administered using the acknowledged treatment standard of pemetrexed and cisplatin. This was followed by an extrapleural pneumonectomy, a procedure to remove not only the cancerous membrane, but also adjacent membranes such as the nearest lung, and often the diaphragm. The patient also received external beam radiation to one side of the chest after a period of six months had elapsed.

Post operation monitoring by a combination of PET and CT scanning has yet to find any signs of a return of the disease some fours later.

With around 2,000 cases of mesothelioma still being diagnosed each year and over 4,000 asbestos disease related fatalities recorded in the UK, it is hoped that tri-modal procedures will help to improve future survival rates.

Asbestos Victim Advice
Expert advice and information on mesothelioma and asbestos related illnesses.
http://www.asbestosvictimadvice.com/