Archive for category Treatment

In the Spring, I had the honor of hearing Michaul Harbut, MD, MPH (co-director of the National Center for Vermiculite and Asbestos-Related Cancers at the Karmanos Cancer Institute and chief of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine Wayne State University) speak about a new imaging technology for use with patients suffering from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases.  The new radiography technology uses the Vitrea imaging software program which translates traditional CT scan images into 3D images.  This new system may aid medical providers and scientists in the diagnosing and treatment of asbestos-related conditions.

Dr. Harbut and his team were recently in the news for using this technology to determine a likely reason for chronic chest pain in some patients with asbestos-related diseases and cancers.  He reports they were able to diagnose and improve treatment decisions with this sophisticated approach.

This new approach could mean earlier detection of mesothelioma, lung cancer, and other asbestos-related diseases as well as increasing treatment options.  It’s an example of how research can improve the treatment and quality of life for patients suffering as a result of asbestos exposure and disease.  I look forward to hearing more about this new process and the implication for the mesothelioma community.

Read more about Dr. Harbut and the new imaging technology at the Karmanos Cancer Institute website.

A British mesothelioma patient who was given only months to live is celebrating news her tumor has shrunk by 73 percent following experimental treatment in Germany. Debbie Brewer who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2006 is “absolutely thrilled” with the final results of a nine-month course of specialized chemotherapy.

Debbie was told by doctors that she had between six and nine months to live. So, she traveled to Frankfurt, Germany for treatment after hearing of an experimental process being carried out by Professor Thomas Vogl. The treatment is known as chemoembolization and is more commonly used to fight liver cancer. It introduces chemotherapy drugs directly to the tumor area through a catheter into the lung.

Each session costs Debbie £3,500 and she uses her mesothelioma compensation from a recent settlement to pay for six sessions at the clinic. She will travel to Germany in three months as her progress is being monitored by Prof Vogl, who is trialing the treatment on mesothelioma patients. Prof Vogl says he treats about 500 patients a year using the localized chemotherapy.

Learn more about mesothelioma treatment.

Morphotek Inc. will be moving forward with a phase 2 study of MORAb-009 monoclonal antibody in mesothelioma.

The study will be focused on MORAb-009 being used in addition to chemotherapy drugs that are currently the standard form of  mesothelioma treatment. The objective is to show that MORAb-009 is an effective treatment based on progression-free survival in patients with locally advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma. 

Beyond that, secondary objectives will be the safety and anti-tumor activity of the drug. Ideally MORAb-009 will block the function of mesothelin, a cell surface protein on mesothelioma, stopping further growth of any mesothelioma tumors.

Morphotek plans to enroll 86 patients in the study, with locally advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma, who have not been previously treated for the disease.

Learn more about mesothelioma treatment.

It’s always devastating to hear that you or a loved one has been diagnosed with any form of cancer, but as we have progressed scientifically and new treatments have been brought forward, the news may not be as devastating. Lack of advances in medicine isn’t the reason many mesothelioma patients find it hard to obtain treatment. Unfortunately the cost of treatment is just too high.

In a survey conducted by The American Cancer Society and The Kaiser Family Foundation 20% of people with health insurance can’t afford the necessary treatment for their cancer. With insurance providers placing limits on insurance benefits and policies, the cost to the patient goes up. 

Take 10-year old Taylor Wilhite for example. She has been battling Leukemia since last March and is already reaching the $1 million life time limit of coverage under her father’s health insurance. Or look at 58-year old Jamie Drzewicki, her breast cancer has gone in to remission after treatment and surgery but her $100,000 policy has already ran out with more bills to still be paid.

“I can’t go on with the fear that I’m gonna get cancer again, and have this stress every day, and I have to let it go, and try to pay what I can,” she said.  

John Sefferin, leader of the American Cancer Society for 17 years feels that cancer is a problem that based on what we can do through science and medicine can be handled but it just isn’t affordable.

The survey conducted was partially based on requests for financial aid concerning cancer treatment received by the American Cancer Society. It found several consistent problems facing those who had medical insurance; high cost sharing, limits on insurance coverage that are substantially lower than the cost of treatment, and limitations on policies when and employee becomes to sick to work anymore. 

The report on the survey didn’t offer any recommendations, but according to Sefferin the study should underscore a need for healthcare reform.