Mesothelioma Treatment - Drugs

Mesothelioma Treatment - Drugs

Veglin

Veglin is a non-chemotherapy drug used to treat several cancers including mesothelioma.   Veglin is an anti-angiogenesis drug , or a drug that inhibits the growth of new blood vessels needed for tumors to develop.  Veglinlowers levels of a key protein required to grow tumors and has shown to be safe in patients with a wide variety of cancers.

Avastin

Avastin (bevacizumab) is an anti-angiogenesis drugs that works by inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a substance believed to promote the growth of new blood vessels needed for tumors to develop. It is used in conjunction with chemotherapy for the treatment of mesothelioma and several other forms of cancer.

Pemetrexed

Pemetrexed(Alimta) is a drug that works to inhibit the growth of certain enzymes that assist in the growth of tumors. Pemetrexed is used in combination with the chemotherapy drug Cisplatin. A clinical trial demonstrated that, when compared to Cisplatin alone, ALIMTA plus Cisplatinshowed results in treating mesothelioma and increasing survival rate.

Cisplatin

Cisplatin is a chemotherapy drug that has been used to treat several different types of cancer. Although Cisplatin is one of the older chemotherapy drugs, its use in combination with other drug therapies can have a synergistic effect. In the treatment of mesothelioma, Cisplatin is often used in combination with Pemetrexed.

Gleevec  (Glivec is the European version)

Gleevec (ImatinibMesylate) is different type of chemotherapy drug that targets only cells that contain certain enzymes present in cancerous cells. As a result, less damage is caused to non-cancerous cells resulting in fewer adverse side-effects. Gleevec alone is not effective against mesothelioma, but in a recent clinical trial combining Gleevec and Gemcitabine, positive results were shown.

Gemzar

Gemzar (gemcitabine)is a chemotherapy drug that slows the growth of cancer cells by interfering with cell division and DNA synthesis.  A combination of Gemzar and Cisplatin has proven in trials to be effective in treating pleural mesothelioma and increasing survival rate.

Bortezomib (Velcade)

Bortezomib is chemotherapy drug known as a proteasome inhibitor that breaks down and kills cancerous cells by disrupting proteins that promote cell growth. Bortezomib is a cytotoxic on its own, but can be combined with either Pemetrexid or Cisplastin in a specific administrative order to get a more synergistic effect.

Milataxel

Milataxel is a new taxane chemotherapy drugs that inhibits cell division by suppressing cells that overproduceP-glycoprotein that in turn build up a resistance to chemotherapy drugs. Clinical trials are being conducted to further evaluate the efficacy of this drug.

Everolimus

Everolimus is currently being trialed on patients with pleural mesothelioma that have not responded to other chemotherapy treatments.  Everolimus is designed to block proteins that cause cancer cells to grow. This clinical trial is still accepting participants and the ClinicalTrials.gov identifier is NCT01024946.

Axitinib

Axitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor believed to inhibitvascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a substance believed to promote the growth of new blood vessels needed for tumors to develop.  Several trials are available to those with pleural mesothelioma to test the effectiveness of this drug.

Dasatinib

Dasinitib is a protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that acts to limit the production of abnormal proteins that cause cancer cells to multiply. This drug is often used when other chemotherapy therapy or Gleevec is no longer effective. Mesothelioma trials are currently being conducted and information can be obtained at ClinicalTrials.gov with the identifier of NCT00509041.

Sunitinib Malate

Sunitinib Malate is part of a group of drugs called antineoplastics and inhibits the production of tyrosine kinase receptors believed to be responsible for tumor growth. It is also used in the event that Gleevec becomes ineffective or is not tolerated well by the patient. More information on mesothelioma clinical trials can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov with the identifier of NCT00392444.

Capecitabine

Capecitabine (Xeloda) is a chemotherapy drug that is antineoplastic and an antimetabolite that interferes with the growth of cancer cells by resembling a nutrient essential for cancer cells to grow.  The cells absorb the Capecitabine causing cancer cells to stagnate in growth.  More information on mesothelioma clinical trials can be found at ClinicalTrial.gov with the identifier of NCT00004183.

 Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)

With IMRT, the intensity of the radiation can be changed during treatment to spare more adjoining normal tissue than is spared during conventional radiation therapy. Because of this, an increased dose of radiation can be delivered to the tumor using IMRT. IMRT is a type of conformal radiation, which shapes radiation beams to closely approximate the shape of the tumor.

Helical Tomo Therapy

Helical TomoTherapy uses a combination of Spiral CT-scan and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) to treat tumors with pinpoint accuracy. Rather than using a few large beams aimed at the tumor from different directions, this therapy uses hundreds of pencil-sized beams to target the tumor. The ability to visualize the tumor with CT-scan and greater accuracy of the radioactive beams allows for greatly reduced peripheral organ damage and fewer side effects.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Mesothelioma or an asbestos-related disease due to asbestos exposure in Idaho, the attorneys at Law Offices of Jerry Neil Paul can help.

Contact us today for a free and confidential consultation.

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