Author: Fran Mannino

Standard-of-care treatment for malignant mesothelioma could change significantly, depending upon the results of an upcoming clinical trial of two immunotherapy agents used in combination with chemotherapy. The mesothelioma clinical trial will involve pembrolizumab, also known by the brand name Keytruda, and its synergy with ONCOS-102, a lesser-known, genetically modified adenovirus. Individually, both have shown modest…

The post Merck, Targovax Team Up for New Mesothelioma Clinical Trial appeared first on Mesothelioma Center – Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families.

Tumor Treating Fields is one of the newest treatments on the market for pleural mesothelioma cancer patients with metastatic disease. The device is also available to patients with locally advanced cancer who are not candidates for mesothelioma surgery. Clinical trials of the treatment, previously known as NovoTTF-100L, extended the survival of mesothelioma patients by more…

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Mike Cirian came to Libby, Montana, in 2005 to lead the largest asbestos cleanup project in American history, a decontamination effort of unprecedented proportion. He never left. Cirian helped turn a dark, deadly past into a much brighter, celebrated future. As manager of the EPA’s asbestos Superfund site ­– stemming from the massive asbestos-contaminated vermiculite…

The post EPA Leaving Libby After Massive Asbestos Cleanup appeared first on Mesothelioma Center – Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families.

National advocacy group Black Women for Wellness joined more than 170 other nonprofits from 51 countries last week in demanding that Johnson & Johnson stop the worldwide distribution of its iconic Johnson’s Baby Powder. The demand for a global distribution ban stems from the potential for asbestos in talc, which has led to various cancers…

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Patients with mesothelioma are being recruited by the National Cancer Institute for a phase II clinical trial using a novel immunotoxin prior to pembrolizumab, a combination that has shown preliminary evidence of efficacy. This promising mesothelioma clinical trial involves the drug LMB-100, designed to make immunotherapy agents such as pembrolizumab, otherwise known as Keytruda, more…

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A recent rise in litigation linking cosmetic talc with mesothelioma and lung cancer will continue throughout 2020, despite companies abandoning the product in the hope of avoiding costly verdicts. The number of legal cases is expected to increase by 10% this year, building on an 11% rise in 2019, according to KCIC, a well-regarded consulting…

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Researchers at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center will soon begin studying the pre-surgery use of cryoablation as a potential early adjuvant therapy for patients with pleural mesothelioma. The pilot study will measure immune system stimulation through local tumor infiltration in hopes of extending patient survival in the future. Cryoablation, also known as cryotherapy or cryosurgery,…

The post Cryoablation Study for Mesothelioma Opening at UCLA appeared first on Mesothelioma Center – Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families.

Researchers at UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center will soon begin studying the pre-surgery use of cryoablation as a potential early adjuvant therapy for patients with pleural mesothelioma. The pilot study will measure immune system stimulation through local tumor infiltration in hopes of extending patient survival in the future. Cryoablation, also known as cryotherapy or cryosurgery,…

The post Cryoablation Study for Mesothelioma Opening at UCLA appeared first on Mesothelioma Center – Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families.

The Missouri Court of Appeals upheld a landmark jury verdict that said long-term use of Johnson & Johnson’s talc products, possibly contaminated with asbestos fibers, had caused ovarian cancer in 22 women. The Court of Appeals also reduced the earlier, record-setting award for punitive and compensatory damages from $4.69 billion to $2.1 billion. A Johnson…

The post Johnson & Johnson Talc-Asbestos Verdict Upheld, Award Cut appeared first on Mesothelioma Center – Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families.

Five different research groups at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting last month made presentations on the effectiveness of tazemetostat, a novel protein inhibitor, in fighting various cancers. Pleural mesothelioma was one of those cancers in which clear efficacy was demonstrated, raising hopes again for a future second-line therapy option. “It wasn’t the…

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Study statistics show the benefits of the novel transarterial chemoperfusion treatment being used successfully at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa for patients with relapsed pleural mesothelioma. Russell Lamkins — working on the roof of a neighbor’s house — shows them even better. He is living proof. This latest mesothelioma treatment has potential. Lamkins, 73,…

The post Mesothelioma Chemoperfusion Trial Shows Impressive Results appeared first on Mesothelioma Center – Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families.

Patients with pleural mesothelioma cancer may have another treatment option after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of pembrolizumab for certain metastatic tumors this week. Pembrolizumab, often known by the brand name Keytruda, is a well-known immunotherapy drug already being used with mixed success for several cancers. This latest FDA approval is…

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A multicenter research team of specialists has uncovered a surprising underutilization of treatments for pleural mesothelioma cancer in women. Clinical Lung Cancer recently published the findings, which showed a significant sex-based disparity in the receipt of care for women when compared with that of men. Women were 15% less likely to receive aggressive mesothelioma surgery…

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Consumer concerns and the threat of potentially costly lawsuits are driving cosmetic companies away from the long-standing manufacture of talc-based products. Reuters News Service is reporting that Revlon, Chanel and L’Oreal — three of the biggest names in U.S. cosmetics — have been turning quietly to talc alternatives in the last few years. Talc is…

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Patients with pleural mesothelioma cancer experienced a significant survival advantage when ramucirumab, a novel immunotherapy drug, was added to chemotherapy in a treatment regimen. Ramucirumab, marketed by Eli Lilly and Company as Cyramza, is a monoclonal antibody that works by targeting and restricting a protein that stimulates blood vessel growth within tumors. An ongoing phase…

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