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	Mesothelioma Treatment Articles and Abstracts Therapy studies: Articles & Abstracts Review Studies Case Studies Etiological Studies Diagnostic Studies Therapy Studies   This category will be the broadest, including articles describing new therapies for mesothelioma, comparing various types of therapies and discussing the outcomes following therapy. The most important aspects of the studies which will be highlighted in the commentary shall be: the type of patients analyzed, the form of therapy used and the outcome pursued by the investigators. Surgery Commonly Asked Questions Dr. David Sugarbaker, M.D. has provided us with a list of commonly asked questions about extrapleural pneumonectomy. Radiation Therapy Factors influencing the outcome of radiotherapy in malignant mesothelioma of the pleura - a single-institution experience with 189 patients. A study to determine the factors influencing the response to palliative radiotherapy 9RT) in malignant mesothelioma of the pleura (MM). - Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1999 Feb 1;43(3):511-6 Chemotherapy Results of a phase II trial of combined chemotherapy for patients with diffuse malignant mesothelioma of the pleura. The authors conducted a Phase II trial in which two drugs (etoposide and 5-fluorouracil) were added to the Cancer and Leukemia Group B cisplatin-mitomycin regimen in an effort to define a more effective chemotherapy. - Cancer 1999 Apr 15;85(8):1740-9 Systemic drug therapy of malignant pleural mesothelioma. This paper reviews the available literature on the systemic drug therapy of MPM. - Monaldi Arch Chest Dis 1998 Apr;53(2):236-40 Management of Mesothelioma By Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy, Followed by Resection and Radiation-A New Approach A case presentation performed during the Grand Rounds at the Froedtert Hospital on the Management of Mesothelioma discusses the neoadjuvant chemotherapy approach followed by resection and radiation. Photodynamic Therapy Procedure and Study Photodynamic therapy is one of the most promising new fields of medicine for the treatment of diseases and disorders of tissues. It is safe and non-invasive. Explanations of the procedure and a scientific study are provided here. Advantages and Side Effects The National Cancer Institute provides an easy-to-understand discussion of the development of PDT and its pros and cons. A Scientific Study The LumaCare™ site provides an abstract and details of a recent study entitled "Photodynamic Therapy of Malignant Mesothelioma of Pleura". The study was conducted at the Norwegian Radium Hospital. Other Drugs: Future directions in the development of pemetrexed. Pemetrexed is a novel antifolate that inhibits several folate-dependent enzymes in addition to thymidylate synthase. Such a drug may have theoretical advantages over fluoropyrimidines and specifically acting antifolates. - Semin Oncol 2002 Apr;29(2 Suppl 5):54-61 Eli Lilly boosted by mesothelioma treatment drug Alimta. Alimta, a new type of cancer treatment being developed by Eli Lilly, is the first treatment to significantly increase the length of survival and ameliorate the symptoms of the disease. - Financial Times 2002 May Control of cell cycle progression in human mesothelioma cells treated with gamma interferon. Recombinant human interferon gamma (r-hu-IFNgamma) exerts both antitumoral activity in the early stages of human malignant mesothelioma and a cytostatic effect in human mesothelioma (HM) cell lines in vitro. - Oncogene 2001 Mar 1;20(9):1085-93 Gemcitabine for malignant mesothelioma: A phase II trial by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B. The CALGB conducted a phase II multicenter trial to evaluate the activity of gemcitabine in malignant mesothelioma (CALGB protocol 9530). - Lung Cancer 2000 Feb-Mar 31(2-3):311-7 New Drug Offers Hope For Asbestos Sufferers Researchers at the Newcastle Freeman Hospital have seen rapid improvements in the symptoms of mesothelioma sufferers taking the breakthrough new drug, Alimta ™. - Scotsman 2000 Nov 7;6 A Phase II study of gemcitabine in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Lung Cancer Cooperative Group. Gemcitabine has shown activity in patients with less chemosensitive solid tumors. Phase II screening of novel drugs is an accepted method with which to investigate new therapies in malignant mesothelioma. -Cancer 1999 Jun 15;85(12):2577-82 Lovastatin - Cholesterol Drug May Inhibit Mesothelioma Cancer Cell Growth Researchers at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Department of Medicine at the University of Minnesota may have discovered an effective treatment for mesothelioma using a common cholesterol reducing drug. L-NDDP as a Therapeutic Option - A Letter from Roman Perez-Soler, M.D. Dr. Roman Perez-Soler, Associate Director for Clinical Oncology and Translational Research at the NYU Medical Center's Kaplan Comprehensive Cancer and Research Institute, discusses a promising new therapeutic option for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Gene Therapy Intrapleural administration of interleukin-2 for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma: a Phase II study. Several clinical studies have demonstrated objective antitumoral responses to intrapleural interleukin-2 (IL-2) administration in the treatment of malignant pleurisy. - Cancer 1998 Nov 15;83(10):2099-104 Mesothelioma: A Rare and Deadly Disease This article further explains what mesothelioma is, and mentions gene therapy as a method by which to cure it. Included is contact information for Dr. Joseph A. Treat conducting gene therapy research at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Medicine. Gene Therapy Raises Hopes... But Only Time Will Tell. This article discusses the theory behind genes that would attack harmful cancer cells while leaving normal healthy cells alone. The Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma With Gene Modified Cancer Cells: A Phase-I Study Please see the latest gene therapy treatment study headed by Dr. Paul Schwarzenberger from the LSU Medical Center and Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center. Gene Therapy For Thoracic Cancer: A Trial To Treat Malignant Mesothelioma Investigators at the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center have been awarded a Program Project grant from the National Cancer Institute that will help fund a novel gene therapy trial to treat patients with mesothelioma, a cancer frequently linked to asbestos exposure. Immunotherapy Intralesional cytokine therapy in cancer: a pilot study of GM-CSF infusion in mesothelioma. Intralesional infusion of cytokines is feasible but can be associated with systemic toxicity and has considerable technical problems. It produces a localized immune reaction with tumor regression in a minority of patients. - J Immunother 1998 Sep;21(5):389-98 Multimodality Therapy Trimodality management of malignant pleural mesothelioma. We reviewed our experience with trimodality management of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). - Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2001 Mar;19(3):346-50. Pleuropneumonectomy in the Treatment of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma(*) The objective of the study was presentation of the use of pleuropneumonectomy in a multimodality treatment setting and the results. - Chest 1999 Dec;116(3 Suppl):450S-454S Pleural space perfusion with cisplatin in the multimodality treatment of malignant mesothelioma: a feasibility and pharmacokinetic study. This study was planned to investigate the feasibility, safety, and pharmacokinetics of a multimodality therapy including an operation, pleural space perfusion (60 minutes) with cisplatin (100 mg/m2), hyperthermia (41.5 degrees C), and postoperative radiotherapy (55 Gy to chest wall incisions). - J Thorac Cardiovasc 1999 Apr;117(4):759-65 If you have any questions regarding treatment options or your legal rights, please contact us.