Clinical trials are staged for the benefit of medical research, but they are also a prerequisite for the approval of a new medication or new treatment use of an existing medication by the FDA. That process is divided into stage I, stage II and stage III procedures. It is the stage III studies that are conducted on groups of humans in order to determine the efficacy of a treatment.
There are usually several mesothelioma clinical trials are occurring at any given time, being conducted at one or several locations. It is not easy to find mesothelioma patients who are in condition to participate in a lengthy research project, so recruiting is generally conducted at several locations. Many of these trials involve the use of pemetrexed, marketed under the name Alimta. This is the only drug that has been approved by the FDA for mesothelioma treatment and it is generally used with patients who are not candidates for surgical treatment. Many clinical trials have been conducted using pemetrexed and other effective cancer chemotherapy drugs, cisplatin in particular.
But clinical trials continue not only for chemotherapy options but for new treatment concepts such as immunotherapy.
Prognosis and Life Expectancy for Mesothelioma Patients
Prognosis for mesothelioma patients is usually a question of life expectancy rather than recovery. The figures vary for types of mesothelioma, for treatment modalities and, to an extent, on who you ask. Often diagnosis of this disease is a lengthy process, which means that it has advanced significantly since the symptoms first manifested. One of the issues is the nature of the cells being attacked; epithelial mesothelioma patients have an average survival rate of about one year, while those diagnosed with the more unusual sarcomatoid mesothelioma, or biphasic mesothelioma (a combination of the two cell types) is closer to six months. These are average figures; the percentage of people who live beyond one year is significant but most figures for mesothelioma and morbidity are based on limited case studies.
These figures are changing slowly as diagnoses occur more readily, as some forms of chemotherapy prove to be effective against some forms of mesothelioma, and as new treatment modalities are tried and found to help. The overall gain in average survival time is a matter of weeks or months with these clinical tests, but slow progress is being made.
There are also always exceptions to these rules. Many patients who respond well to surgery and chemotherapy live on for two years or more. One of the issues that comes into play with these poor prognosis figures is the fact that so many mesothelioma patients are elderly and have other health problems as well. Often a patient does not have the constitution to withstand major surgery, so resection is not an option.
Legal Options for Mesothelioma Victims
Asbestos lawsuits comprise the largest single civil tort in the history of the nation. More suits have been filed seeking damages for health problems caused by asbestos than for any other civil legal complaint. Hundreds of thousands of American workers have been impacted by mesothelioma and asbestosis over the last half century and many more are getting sick today. The continued diagnosis of mesothelioma is expected to continue at the current rate for another five to ten years.
If you or a family member has a medical problem that you believe is related to asbestos exposure, you should be in touch with an experienced asbestos lawyer who can assist you by providing the specialized legal help that is required in asbestos and mesothelioma liability cases.
Sources:
1. Brigham and Womens Hospital, International Mesothelioma Program, Mesothelioma Facts, 2010
2. NIH National Toxicology Program, Report on Carcinogens, 11th Edition
3. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/sites-types/mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Questions and Answers
4. PubMed, Analysis of Latency Time…in Asbestos Related Malignant Mesothelioma, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Prevention, Rome, Italy, 2007
5. Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Staging of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma January 2009
6. American Cancer Society, Treatment of Mesothelioma based on Extent of the Cancer
7. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Phase III Study of Pemetrexed in Combination With Cisplatin Versus Cisplatin Alone in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, Vogelzang, Rusthoven et al, 2003
8. Winston Tan, M.D. Mayo Medical School, Mesothelioma, Medscape March 2009
Notice : Thanks VladariesTeam.Blogspot.com been visiting her in the waiting comment
There are usually several mesothelioma clinical trials are occurring at any given time, being conducted at one or several locations. It is not easy to find mesothelioma patients who are in condition to participate in a lengthy research project, so recruiting is generally conducted at several locations. Many of these trials involve the use of pemetrexed, marketed under the name Alimta. This is the only drug that has been approved by the FDA for mesothelioma treatment and it is generally used with patients who are not candidates for surgical treatment. Many clinical trials have been conducted using pemetrexed and other effective cancer chemotherapy drugs, cisplatin in particular.
But clinical trials continue not only for chemotherapy options but for new treatment concepts such as immunotherapy.
Prognosis and Life Expectancy for Mesothelioma Patients
Prognosis for mesothelioma patients is usually a question of life expectancy rather than recovery. The figures vary for types of mesothelioma, for treatment modalities and, to an extent, on who you ask. Often diagnosis of this disease is a lengthy process, which means that it has advanced significantly since the symptoms first manifested. One of the issues is the nature of the cells being attacked; epithelial mesothelioma patients have an average survival rate of about one year, while those diagnosed with the more unusual sarcomatoid mesothelioma, or biphasic mesothelioma (a combination of the two cell types) is closer to six months. These are average figures; the percentage of people who live beyond one year is significant but most figures for mesothelioma and morbidity are based on limited case studies.
These figures are changing slowly as diagnoses occur more readily, as some forms of chemotherapy prove to be effective against some forms of mesothelioma, and as new treatment modalities are tried and found to help. The overall gain in average survival time is a matter of weeks or months with these clinical tests, but slow progress is being made.
There are also always exceptions to these rules. Many patients who respond well to surgery and chemotherapy live on for two years or more. One of the issues that comes into play with these poor prognosis figures is the fact that so many mesothelioma patients are elderly and have other health problems as well. Often a patient does not have the constitution to withstand major surgery, so resection is not an option.
Legal Options for Mesothelioma Victims
Asbestos lawsuits comprise the largest single civil tort in the history of the nation. More suits have been filed seeking damages for health problems caused by asbestos than for any other civil legal complaint. Hundreds of thousands of American workers have been impacted by mesothelioma and asbestosis over the last half century and many more are getting sick today. The continued diagnosis of mesothelioma is expected to continue at the current rate for another five to ten years.
If you or a family member has a medical problem that you believe is related to asbestos exposure, you should be in touch with an experienced asbestos lawyer who can assist you by providing the specialized legal help that is required in asbestos and mesothelioma liability cases.
Sources:
1. Brigham and Womens Hospital, International Mesothelioma Program, Mesothelioma Facts, 2010
2. NIH National Toxicology Program, Report on Carcinogens, 11th Edition
3. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/sites-types/mesothelioma, Mesothelioma Questions and Answers
4. PubMed, Analysis of Latency Time…in Asbestos Related Malignant Mesothelioma, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Prevention, Rome, Italy, 2007
5. Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Staging of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma January 2009
6. American Cancer Society, Treatment of Mesothelioma based on Extent of the Cancer
7. Journal of Clinical Oncology, Phase III Study of Pemetrexed in Combination With Cisplatin Versus Cisplatin Alone in Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma, Vogelzang, Rusthoven et al, 2003
8. Winston Tan, M.D. Mayo Medical School, Mesothelioma, Medscape March 2009
Notice : Thanks VladariesTeam.Blogspot.com been visiting her in the waiting comment
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