Unfortunately, a diagnosis of mesothelioma has never carried much hope for the victim, mainly because the disease can lie dormant for 20 to 40 years, allowing it to progress to an advanced stage. The disease often shows no symptoms until it has progressed to a very dangerous stage. The dormancy of the disease also limits treatment options for sufferers. Nonetheless, because there's been a rise in the disease and more doctors and research scientists are taking notice of this dreadful illness, more research pioneers have jumped on the bandwagon in the search of better treatment and a cure for the disease.
As more and more money begins to be spent on this disease that affects people from all over the world, new treatments are emerging all the time. Research allows doctors and scientists to better understand the design of the disease, and researchers are eager to develop both new forms of common treatments as well as totally new treatment procedures. Good research and proper funding allows the opportunity to find both.
As these drugs or procedures are developed, they are tested in clinical trials by people who have already been diagnosed with the disease. The success or lack of success of the clinical trial will dictate whether or not the drug or procedure will be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Once the FDA issues an approval, the new treatment or drug will be available to the general public, not just a selected group of trial patients.
Future of Mesothelioma Treatments
Chemotherapy has always been the treatment of choice for mesothelioma patients, usually as a palliative measure to relieve symptoms and make the patient more comfortable. Advances in chemotherapy are looking hopeful. The most notable new drug is Alimta, which, when combined with another long-used chemo drug called Cisplatin, is the only FDA-approved drug designated for specific use in fighting malignant pleural mesothelioma. Another drug currently on the FDA's fast track list and awaiting approval is Onconase, a drug that has been shown to target cancer cells while sparing normal cells.
Anti-angiogenesis drugs are designed to prevent angiogenesis, the process by which new blood vessels are formed from pre-existing vessels. Angiogenesis plays a key role in the spreading of tumors, so researchers are searching for ways to halt the process in cancer patients. One anti-angiogenesis drug for mesothelioma treatment is currently being offered (Avastin), and it lowers the levels of a protein that prompts angiogenesis, therefore inhibiting cell growth.
If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you may feel as though you have been issued a death sentence, but that is not the case. The future of mesothelioma treatments is promising.
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