Long Time Mesothelioma Survivors -What Do They Have in Common?
Paul Kraus is one of the long-term survivors of malignant mesothelioma, there are many others and one thing they all have in common to all of them is the fact that they all focused most of their treatment on steps to improve or enhance their immune system. Some used alternative or complimentary therapies (with guidance from licensed clinicians) while others participated in clinical trials of immune therapy.
So does the immune system play a significant role in the control malignant mesothelioma? The experience of Paul Kraus and other long-term malignant mesothelioma survivors gives a lot of credit to the fact that the immune system is indeed very important in the management of malignant mesothelioma.
In quite a number of people with pleural mesothelioma that survived the cancer for a long time, their medical histories have shown that their immune system may have played a major role in their extremely long survival. Read more…
How to Choose the Best Mesothelioma Clinical Trial
You can find out about good mesothelioma clinical trials in different ways. You can enter for clinical trials do so after hearing about them from your doctor. You can also actively look for clinical trials on the Internet or in other places, hoping to find more options for treatment. Some clinical trials are advertised directly to patients.
Information about mesothelioma cancer resources can be obtained from several resources. These resources can be divided into 2 main types: clinical trials lists and clinical trials matching services.
1- Clinical trial lists
These sources give you the names and descriptions of clinical trials of new treatments. If there is a study you are interested in, you will probably be able to find it in a list. The list will often include a description of the study, the criteria for patient eligibility, and a contact person. If you (or your health care providers) are willing and able to read through descriptions of all the studies listed for your cancer type, then a list may be all you need. Some organizations that provide lists can help you narrow the list a little, according to the kind of treatment you are looking for (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy, etc.) and the stage of your cancer. Read more…
How to Cope With a Terminal Mesothelioma Relative
Mesothelioma cancer is often a terminal illness with most victims dying within one year of diagnosis. This grim fact is a very difficult fact that victim and the people around them will have to face. The person with cancer may be in pain, may be incapacitated by the cancer or may be able to walk only a few steps, or may be confused. It is hard to watch someone you love gradually pass away in this manner.
No matter how hard it may be, it is still important to try to be there for the person. The person with cancer may feel lonely even if there are people around. This is because the people nearby may not be really in tune with what is going on with the person. You can be the person who is in sync with your loved one every step of the way. Just by staying close and listening with a smile or gentle touch, you show you are there for your friend or family member. It takes courage and extra energy to be in this situation. Read more…
5 Important Facts About Mesothelioma Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are vital in studying all aspects of medicine, not just cancer. They are particularly even more important in the research for newer and more effective treatments for terminal diseases like mesothelioma cancer, but all new treatments (drugs and medical devices) actually pass through clinical trials before being approved by the relevant drug regulatory bodies. These are important facts about clinical trials:
1- All clinical trials are voluntary
Although participation in a clinical trial in the treatment of terminal diseases like mesothelioma is highly advisable it is not mandatory that you take part in them. You always have the right to choose whether or not you will take part in a clinical trial. The level of care you get should not be affected by your decision. And you have the right to leave a clinical trial at any time, for any reason. If you decide to leave, your health care team may ask that you agree to continue to be watched for a certain length of time to look for any long-term effects of treatment.
2- Not all clinical trials study treatments
Not all clinical trials are about the study of new treatments, many clinical trials study new ways to detect, diagnose, or learn the extent of disease. Some even look at ways to prevent the disease from happening in the first place. Read more…
Terminal Mesothelioma Cancer-How to Recognise a Dying Mesothelioma Victim
When the mesothelioma victim begins to show signs of imminent death, it is the time to for the relatives and friends to come around to say final goodbyes to their loved one. One after the other, the family members and friends might spend time with the patient, holding hands, talking to the patient, or just sitting quietly by the patient.
It can also be a time to perform any religious rituals and other activities the patient desires before he/she passes on. It is a chance for many families and friends to express their love and appreciation for the patient and for each other. Read more…
What Are the Different Stages of a Mesothelioma Clinical Trial?
Clinical trials are typically conducted in different phases. Each phase is designed to answer certain questions. Knowing the phase of the clinical trial is important because it can give you some idea about how much is known about the treatment being studied. There are advantages and disadvantages of taking part in each of the different phases of a clinical trial.
Clinical trials for mesothelioma cancer passes through this different stages:
1-Phase 0 clinical trials: Does the new drug work? How does it work?
Phase 0 studies are exploratory studies that involves the use of few small doses of a new drug in each patient. They test to find out whether the drug reaches the tumor, how the drug acts in the human body, and how cancer cells respond to the drug. The patients in these studies must have extra biopsies, scans, and blood samples. The biggest difference between phase 0 and the later phases of clinical trials is that there is no chance of a direct benefit to the patient from taking part in a phase 0 trial. Because drug doses are low, the chances of risks is less compared to the other phases of the clinical trial. Read more…
Vitamin a – Possible New Drug For Mesothelioma
Vitamin A is a very important vitamin to maintaining health. Vitamin A is found in foods like carrots and it is well known for its importance in maintaining eyesight. Also recent independent research studies over the last three decades have suggested that vitamin A could possibly have an impact on managing and preventing mesothelioma.
Vitamin A has many essential functions in the human body including:
- sustenance of vision
- bone growth
- Reproduction
- Cell division
- Cell differentiation
- Helping to maintain the immune system – the body’s defense against infection.
Vitamin A comes from animal sources (such as liver and whole milk) and plant sources. Read more…
Ways to Quit Smoking – You Can Quit Smoking With Help
When it comes to ways to quit smoking these days there is tons of help to quit smoking if you truly want to do it.
Long popular methods used by those wanting to stop smoking cigarettes are patches and nicotine gum. These methods no doubt have a history of helping people eliminate or cut down on the nicotine cravings one will experience while trying to quit. There was a long period of time where these were pretty much the only options available. Read more…
Targeted Therapy- A New Way of Treating Mesothelioma
Conventional Mesothelioma cancer treatment consists mainly of three main options- surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.
Newer medical therapies that are been discovered include the use of more targeted therapies that address the biological factors triggering mesothelioma growth might be a much more precise and effective way to combat this notoriously difficult cancer.
Mesothelioma is so difficult to treat properly because most often by the time it is diagnosed it is already in an advanced stage, and because it can take many biological forms. Current mesothelioma treatments were originally designed for other types of cancers, without considering factors that may be specific to mesothelioma. That may be why many patients only partially respond to treatment, and the average survival is just 12 months after diagnosis. Read more…
Commonly Asked Questions About Mesothelioma Clinical Trial
Most people have some concerns about taking part in a clinical trial, often because they’re not really sure what it will mean for them. Taking time to get as much information as you need before you decide is the best way to be sure that you will make the choice that is right for you. These are the commonly asked questions about mesothelioma clinical trials:
1- Is the clinical trial risky?
Yes, all clinical trials have risks. Every medical test, drug, or procedure has risks. The risk may be greater in a clinical trial because some aspects of any new treatment are unknown. This is especially true of phase I and II clinical trials, where the treatment has been studied in fewer people.
Perhaps a more important question is whether the risks are outweighed by the possible benefits. Since mesothelioma cancer is often a terminal disease with the current treatment modalities offering little hope in terms of cure, most victims are often willing to accept a certain amount of risk for a chance to be helped, but it is always important to be realistic about what this chance is. Ask your doctor to give you an idea of what the possible benefits are, and exactly what benefit is likely for you. Read more…
