In this Article

• What is mesothelioma?
• What are the symptoms of mesothelioma?
• What causes mesothelioma?
• How much exposure does it take to get mesothelioma?
• How long does it take after exposure for mesothelioma to show up?
• How is mesothelioma diagnosed?
• What is the prognosis for mesothelioma?
• What is the treatment for mesothelioma?
• Is there any promising research or are there promising drugs for mesothelioma?
• What other kinds of information is available for people with mesothelioma?
• Mesothelioma At A Glance
• Mesothelioma Glossary
• Mesothelioma Index

Is there any promising research or are there promising drugs for mesothelioma?

New approaches being studied

New approaches to treat malignant mesothelioma are currently being tested. They often combine traditional treatments or include something entirely new. They include

• Promising drugs



• L-NDDP (Platar): Intrapleural administration of this platinum product is designed to overcome the toxicity and drug resistance currently limiting the usefulness of platinum drugs like Cisplatin. NOTE: A recent trial produced remission in two patients.



• Endostatin has been shown to work with angiostatin in destroying a tumors' ability to grow blood vessels without harming normal cells.



• Lovastatin is a cholesterol drug shown in a recent study to potentially inhibit mesothelioma cancer cell growth.



• Intrapleural interferon gamma is the direct administration of the anti-cancer drug interferon gamma.



• Photodynamic therapy kills cancer cells using the energy of light.



• Immunotherapy treats cancer by helping the immune system fight the disease.



• Gene therapy treats cancer by correcting the genetic deficits that allow tumors to develop. A September 1999 study found that interferon interleukin prevented the growth of mesothelioma cells in mice.

Research is being conducted at various cancer centers all over the United States.

A recent study involving L-NDDP produced two cases of remission in mesothelioma patients. Another study found that a drug known as Lovastatin may hold promise for mesothelioma patients.

To learn more about mesothelioma clinical studies and journal medical journal articles, visit the Mesothelioma Web (http://www.mesotheliomaweb.org).

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