Mesothelioma Info - Types of Mesothelioma
Antimicrotubule Agents
Vinca alcaloids
Vinorelbine. Steele et al, (2000) administered vinorelbine to 64 patients with Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) at a weekly 30 mg m-2 dose for 6 weeks. A response rate of 21% (12 out of 64 patients) was observed and 63% of patients experienced disease stabilisation. Furthermore, the patients' quality of life was increased with respect to lung-related symptoms and physical well-being in general.
The same study group conducted a trial to evaluate the activity of vinorelbine at 30 mg m-2 on days 1 and 8 and oxaliplatin 130 mg m-2 on day 1 every 3 weeks in 21 Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) patients (Steele et al, 2000). Only two partial responses had been observed and toxicity had been significant. These inferior results could perhaps result from the large number of stage IV patients, the higher proportion of less favorable subtypes, and the inclusion of several participants showing a low performance status. At any rate, the addition of oxaliplatin to vinorelbine seems to bring no advantage, thus discouraging further studies in this doublet.
Recently, a British randomised phase III study has been initiated, comparing the efficacy of single-agent vinorelbine (30 mg m-2 up to 60 mg m-2) vs MPV (mitomycin 8 mg m-2, vinblastin 6 mg m-2, cisplatin 50 mg m-2) vs active best supportive care alone.
Mesothelioma Info
There are three specific types of mesothelioma asbestos:
- Pleural mesothelioma, affecting the pleura (lung cavity).
- Peritoneal mesothelioma, affecting the peritoneum (abdominal cavity).
- Pericardial mesothelioma, affecting the pericardium (heart sac).
Mesothelioma symptoms vary dependent on the type of mesothelioma that one is suffering from; however, the most common presenting symptom is chronic chest pain caused by a buildup of fluid inside the pleural space.
Mesothelioma treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy (Alimta, Veglin, cisplatin, gemcitabine), photodynamic therapy, immunotherapy and gene therapy; however, none of the mesothelioma treatments have been able to thwart the rare yet deadly cancer type.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma, contact an asbestos lawyer or mesothelioma lawyer to get information about your right to compensation.