Sep

7

New Drug Combination Offers Hope in Treatment for Mesothelioma

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In New York, a new treatment for mesothelioma is being tested in clinical trial. The drugs, oxaliplatin and gemcitabine, form a two-drug cocktail and are hoped to be a new option for the first or second line treatment for those suffering from the asbestos-related aliment. The trial is fashioned to see how quickly and effectively the drugs will slow the growth rate of mesothelioma tumors, which are normally found in the pleural lining of the lungs.

To qualify for the treatment, the patient has to have undergone multiple chemotherapy treatments in the past without a positive result. If the sufferer recently underwent a procedure known as pleurodesis, a two week waiting period must be observed before entering the clinical trial. It is also recommended that patients of reproductive age must sign an agreement to take contraceptive agents to prevent pregnancy during the trial, as the medications are not recommended for use with those who are or might potentially become pregnant. The trial is being facilitated by Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. At this time, enrollment has been completed and the program is no longer accepting applicants.

Those exposed to asbestos generally begin to see the onset of mesothelioma an average of fifteen years after initial exposure. As stated, mesothelioma usually occurs in the lungs (pleural mesothelioma), but can also manifest in the abdomen (peritoneal mesothelioma). Unfortunately for those who suffer from the illness, there is no definitive treatment for the ailment. Prevention stands to be the best defense. Those who have already been exposed are left to anticipate that the results of the clinical trial will offer a new avenue for the return to the quality of life they’ve lost to a mesothelioma diagnosis. Time will hopefully show that the clinical trial will offer support in the face of a slow and debilitating death.

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