Dastinib: new drug for mesothelioma

Although, there is currently no cure for mesothelioma. Dastinib, a new drug for treating mesothelioma has been discovered and is currently being tested in clinical trials at MD Cancer Center at the University of Texas and other centers in the United States. At Anderson Cancer Center, some patients will receive more attention for better treatment by a panel of doctors who have been assigned specific roles. This team consists of experts in the fields of chest medical oncology, radiotherapy and pathology of the lungs. The drugs Dastanib is used for mesothelioma patients who have failed other treatments or unable to take standard medications for allergic reactions or unusual side effects. Mesothelioma still has no cure, like other forms of cancer. Researchers continue to find a cure for the rare and fatal disease, whose victims find little time for life with the typical treatment for cancer such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, etc. The introduction of Dastanib M.D. Cancer Center at the University of Texas bring the little hope for the patients. It is believed to be the best treatment to prevent progression of mesothelioma.

Early detection for mesothelioma

Early detection is essential for mesothelioma, especially for those people who are exposed to asbestos dust which is a very strong risk factor for this deadly cancer. Once diagnosis is made, treatment will be given. The earlier the treatment was introduced, the better the outcome and survival rate are. People with known risk factor should alert for this condition, look for the signs and symptoms associated with this cancer, and seek for a medical services for health check up regularly.

People who worked in asbestos-related manufacturing industry are at risk and there is a large number of these people affected by mesothelioma. Beside, family members of those who are in close contact with this deadly material also be affected. The reason is they have consistently exposed to asbestos dust in their own clothes.

Even if there is a higher probability that you will have mesothelioma if you are smoking. Usually, risk for most kind of cancers is increased with smoking. But mesothelioma is not necessarily related to smoking. For mesothelioma, exposesure to asbestos directly or indirectly from family members alone can cause the disease. Those who live near these places are also at risk of mesothelioma. Those suffering from mesothelioma do not have any signs or symptoms of the disease at an early stage. For this reason it is very difficult to recognize it early and the time of diagnosis can be from this moment to very late stage of the disease.

Signs and symptoms of mesothelioma are chest pain, weight loss and respiratory problems such as shortness of breath. Sometimes these symptoms can be position dependent. Chest pain may be pronounce when coughing or breathing forcefully. Shortness of breath may be relieved when patients are in upright position. Choosing diagnostic investigation is depend on the status of patients. CT, X-Ray and tissue analysis will be performed on a patient to determine if mesothelioma is present. Tissue samples are extracted with the introduction of a camera through a small channel from the chest wall. Tissue will be sent for microscopic diagnosis which is the definitive method for diagnosis of any kind of cancer. Once diagnosis was made, doctors will discuss with their patient for treatment options and begin the treatment.

Late stage mesothelioma symptoms

Mesothelioma symptoms oftens develop gradually, and such non significant symptoms in early stage of disease often usually mislead physicians from the actual diagnosis. For example coughing, difficulty breathing and chest pain in pleural mesothelioma is often diagnosed as lung infections such as pneumonia. In general, the symptoms are more pronounced when the cancer is very advanced and the treatment less effective.

In advanced pleural mesothelioma, pain in the chest and under the rib cage are more marked, the back pain may be present. Cough may be pronounced along with bloody sputum. Hoarseness and swelling of the face and arms may be occur in case of lymphatic obstruction. Patients may also experience muscle weakness and sensory loss. In advanced peritoneal mesothelioma, abdominal pain symptoms are more pronounced. The symptoms include a swelling or lump in the abdomen, distension of the abdomen by an accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, abdominal pain due to intestinal obstruction, nausea and vomiting, constipation and loss of appetite. If there is a lot of fluid in abdominal cavity, the breathing may become difficult and the feet can be swelling. In advanced pericardial mesothelioma, cough, worsening breathlessness, palpitations and chest pains will be present.

Generally, any type of cancer will cause nonspecific systemic symptoms such as weight loss, loss of appetite and may be fever. Mesothelioma patient will also experience these symptoms. Patients with advanced mesothelioma are usually offered palliative treatment to reduce discomfort from their symptoms. Pleural or abdominal fluid accumulation can be released. Also ,surgery or radiotherapy can be used to reduce some symptoms of the disease. Radiation therapy are effective to relieve pain. New clinical trials are researching for the best symptomatic relief for patients with advanced malignant mesothelioma.

Chemotherapy for mesothelioma

One treatment option widely used to treat cancer is chemotherapy. With this treatment chemicals are used to destroy tumor cells. Chemotherapy treatment inhibits the growth and division of malignant cell, thus limiting cancer spread to other areas.

However, these drugs also kill other cells in the body. They are not very specific to cancer cells. So, there are some side effects. Most common side effects of chemotherapy are vomiting, nausea, hair loss, immune system problems and decline in appetite. If the patients experience the side effects, they should arouse the concern of doctors, which will change the drugs or adding other drugs to reduce the impact of concern.

A large number of ongoing chemotherapy in patients with mesothelioma is more effective and harmless. However, it is better to know all options before opting into a specific chemotherapy. This will help the patients select the best choice for them.

The most appropriate choice of chemotherapy depends largely on the type of the mesothelioma and their stage of disease. Also, the patient's age and health factors also play an important role in selection of chemotherapy.

Including more than 100 chemotherapy drugs, but only a few have been proved effective to fight against mesothelioma. In some cases, doctors add multiple drug combinations to treat the patient. Commonly used chemotherapy drugs are Alimta, cisplatin, carboplatin, vinorelbine, gemcitabine, and Onconase. These drugs are usually intravenous or oral. Modern methods, heated chemotherapy is also used widely.

There is no effective treatment has been found to date in patients with mesothelioma. Chemotherapy can only help to control the disease. Shrink tumors and help to improve general conditions. Combination of chemotherapy with other treatment modalities is proved to be effective to extend the survival time. Only time will tell us how effective chemotherapy, they are still only in experimental level currently.

Surgical treatment options for mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer associated with exposure to asbestos. There are three types of surgery for mesothelioma. However, only two are really used for the treatment.

The first type of surgery is performed by thoracoscopy. This is not actually used for the treatment of the patient. Instead, the scope is inserted surgically in the chest to inspect the mesothelium, lung, and heart. After a visual inspection, a much better position can be evaluate to make a possible method of treatment.

The second type of surgery is a pleurectomy. The purpose of this operation is to remove cancer cells in the pluera. In human terms, this means removing the cell layers covering the lungs. If the cancer cells can be removed totally before spreading to adjacent or distant organs, the prognosis will be much better.

The third operation is known as an extrapleural pneumonectomy. This is simply explained as a surgery to debulk the tumour cell as much as possible. Pleural may not be resected totally, only where the tumour cell affected will be resected. Part of a lung, the diaphragm and the sack around the heart will be removed as necessary. This is a very aggressive surgery and only the skilled surgeons are able to perform this treatment. Only the patients in advance stage undergo this operation.

Each case of mesothelioma is different, so you cannot assume that a particular operation works. Discuss the options with a qualified physician, they will help you select your best choice.

Mesothelioma prognosis

Mesothelioma prognosis is difficult for some patients. Some physicians conclude the truth that the chances of survival are small. The prognosis of mesothelioma depends on how the body reacts to treatment.

Mesothelioma is similar to other variants of cancer. Certain intrinsic qualities of the patient has a special role. Once mesothelioma was diagnosed, prognosis can be given. The earlier the diagnosis and treatment has been started, the better the prognosis. Here's the problem, the condition cannot be diagnosed so easily. It is usually in advanced stages of cancer that tests show that the patient actually suffers from mesothelioma.

There are several factors affect that mesothelioma prognosis. Some of them are listed as shown in the remaining text. The place where the mesothelioma is known to play a major role is the pleura, peritoneum, pericardium and the testis. Among these, the most commom form is pleural mesothelioma. However, all of them are fatal type of cancer. If the condition is found by appropriate tests in the early stages and has been treated with appropriate surgery and therapy, the patient can be saved.

Tumor cells are known to spread to surrounding cells or migrate to another place and begins to attack normal cells in other region. This is called metastasis of the tumor. It happens in late stages and plays an important role in mesothelioma prognosis. The condition is known to be associated with other symptoms. Smoking habits and alcohol drinking will also influence the prognosis in mesotheliomas as well.

The patient must take the medicine actively without missing any pills. Never lose hope because without hope, the chances of recovery are low. Miracle always happens, and if diagnosed early, the chances of survival are enormous. Family members should support the patient psychologically and socially. The survival rate after 5 years of diagnosis as published by some of the medical journal is only about 10 percent. People undergoing treatment for mesothelioma, are known to live about five or six years after the first detection. That's impressive comparing to other forms of cancer.

Below is the information regarding the chance of survival after each year of mesothelioma diagnosis.

- Year 1 mesothelioma survival rate: 39 percent
- Year 2 survival rate: 20 percent
- Year 3 survival rate: 11 percent
- Year 4 survival rate: 10 percent
- Year 5 survival rate: 9 percent

Asbestos and mesothelioma

Asbestos was used in construction of more than 30 years. Asbestos has been used as fireproof materials. The material was found in the insulator of electrical appliances, ceiling, walls and most stakeholders in the sectors of construction. Asbestos was also found in concrete, mortar, adhesives and construction materials. In 1970, there was a ban on the use of asbestos, but there were no laws in place to permanently restrict the use of this hazardous materials.

In occupations, people at risk of exposure to asbestos are workers of the shipyards and industries that use boiler making. Asbestos has been used extensively for shipbuilding, fire fueled boilers for propulsion and electricity generation. Asbestos has been introduced in the outer layer of high temperature boiler and the steam pipes in all areas of the ship. The greatest danger is that if the repair of the boiler or steam pipes has been made with asbestos removed. If you or someone you know has worked in a shipyard setting, please inform them of the results.

Exposure to asbestos is extremely important in steel and metals recycling, such as the use of molten metals. Steel and aluminum plants were the main users of asbestos. Asbestos has been hailed as a miracle material because of the extreme values of insulation. Daily use of asbestos gloves still in affect until early 1980. There is no doubt that asbestos products improve quality of lives. However, long-term concern can not be ignored.

If you or someone you knows worked in steel mills or metal in the 50s to the 70s, please contact your physician and explain the history of working related to industrial plant. You have the legal rights and you have the right to seek compensation for damage if you have contracted any type of mesothelioma.