Clinical Trials For Mesothelioma: Who Are Involved, Stages, and Mesothelioma Clinical Trial Reports

By S. Callaghan


What is a clinical trial?

A Clinical Trial is a research study done on humans following a very strict protocol. The goal of a clinical trial is to develop new drugs and treatments for all types of diseases, most especially fatal ones such as Mesothelioma.

Before any medicine is considered effective and safe for the general public to take, it has to undergo a thorough process in a clinical trial.

Who are involved in Mesothelioma clinical trials?

The people involved in these biomedical studies are the researcher, who make up the very detailed plan of how the procedure shall be done, the volunteer who will be the subject of the trial, and the review board who usually consists of scientists, oncologists, other physicians, and nurses.

The review board is indirectly involved with the procedures, but it monitors the trial and gives an annual formal review. The volunteers who participate are in most cases, patients diagnosed with Mesothelioma and other types of malignant cancer. Most mesothelioma patients resort to clinical trials as their last hope for a cure.

What are the stages a clinical trial undergoes?

To avoid confusing the term 'stages' with the gravity or extent of the disease, we shall use the term 'phases'.

Generally, a clinical trial has three phases, although a fourth phase is now being considered for the purpose of post-marketing studies. The fourth phase basically checks on the effectiveness of the FDA-approved drug which had already gone through all three phases.

The first phase determines the drug's correct dosage and focuses primarily on safety, rather than the drug's efficacy. The test is done on a small group of 20-80 persons for the first phase.

The second phase verifies if the new drug has a definite effect against a particular disease. This is also where the ideal dosage of the drug is evaluated and the results of the first phase is confirmed. The test is conducted on a larger group of people around 100-300 individuals.

The third phase compares the new drug against the existing standard treatment for a particular disease or illness. The new drug is combined with other drugs to determine side effects, and different doses are tested for the same purpose and to check the efficacy of the drug. This last phase is conducted on a large scale where up to 3,000 people are participants.

Do all Mesothelioma patients have to undergo these clinical trials?

Mesothelioma patients are in no way obliged to participate in biomedical studies and researches. Oncologists may recommend these, especially when patients are considering new types of treatment, but the decision is up to the patient and the patient's family.

Trial reports on Mesothelioma cases raise hope for Mesothelioma patients. The report summarizes the results of the research procedure and is normally published in medical journals for evaluation, and to serve as the basis of continued experimentation by other health professionals.

There are different types of Mesothelioma, would a single successful clinical trial be enough for all types of this disease?

There were Mesothelioma Clinical Trial reports conducted for different types and extent of Mesothelioma. A few examples are the following:

For progressive malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (developed in the lining of the lungs), Phase III Vorinostat trial was conducted where physicians use a chemotherapy drug called Vorinostat to kill cancerous cells and stop the cell's division by blocking enzymes that are needed for the cancerous cells to multiply.

For advanced malignant Mesothelioma, Phase II Pemetrexed Disodium with Gemcitabine is a trial conducted to examine the effects of chemotherapy drugs such as Gemcitabine and Pemetrexed Disodium on recurrent malignant Mesothelioma.

For patients with unresectable malignant Mesothelioma, Phase II AZD2171 clinical trial was conducted so doctors can investigate the use of such chemotherapy drugs for inhibiting enzymes and block the flow of blood into the tumor. The trial was dedicated to help patients suffering from advanced, sarcotamous, epithelial, and recurrent malignant Mesothelioma.

Know more about the facts behind Mesothelioma Cancer, Cause, and Treatments.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=S._Callaghan

http://EzineArticles.com/?Clinical-Trials-For-Mesothelioma:-Who-Are-Involved,-Stages,-and-Mesothelioma-Clinical-Trial-Reports&id=5368449

LINKS

• Lung Cancer:: Prevention, Management, and Emerging Therapies (Current Clinical Oncology)
• Emerging Cancer Therapy: Microbial Approaches and Biotechnological Tools (Wiley Series in Biotechnology and Bioengineering)
• Cutaneous Wound Healing
• Atlas of Diagnostic Oncology: Expert Consult - Online and Print, 4e (Expert Consult Title: Online + Print)
• Gene-Based Therapies for Cancer (Current Cancer Research)

Five Fake Treatments for Mesothelioma

By Shane Ceatus


Mesothelioma is a cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Sadly, most people who are diagnosed with mesothelioma die within five years of their mesothelioma diagnosis. In their quest for a cure, many patients turn to alternative "treatments." According to recent medical data, most of these "treatments" simply do not work, and many can cause serious harm. Read on to learn which fake mesothelioma treatments to avoid.

1. Rattlesnake Powder Therapy

Rattlesnake treatments are based on a medically unproven claim that a powder derived from rattlesnake has the power to kill cancer. The rattlesnake powder is made by cutting off the head of the snake and drying the remaining flesh in the sun. The dehydrated snake is then ground into powder and packaged into capsules. The patient is supposed to take one capsule every hour until he or she is healed. Alarmingly, many rattlesnake healers insist that this "cure" cannot be combined with any other medication. Thus, cancer patients are told to stop taking their cancer drugs and painkillers in order to benefit from the magical power of rattlesnake.

2. Oxidative Stress Treatments

Oxygen-based treatments are grounded in the idea that cancer cells cannot survive in a highly oxygenated environment. Oxygen therapy proponents attempt to produce lethal levels of hydrogen peroxide in cancer cells by administering high-dose intravenous combinations of vitamin C, vitamin K and a drug called Perftec. Although the proponents of this therapy claim that it only kills the cancer cells and is harmless to the surrounding tissues, these claims have not been scientifically proven.

3. Melatonin Therapy

Melatonin cancer treatments use high doses of melatonin, a hormone that is naturally produced by the body, to defeat cancer. The melatonin healers claim that, in high doses, melatonin boosts the immune system, which then destroys the cancer cells. While some healers recommend increasing the levels of melatonin through a twice-a-day meditation sessions, most others administer melatonin in capsules. This approach might be dangerous because the long-term effects of high doses of melatonin are unknown.

4. The Rife Machine

The Rife machine was developed in the 1930s by a microbiologist named Dr. Royal Rife. This machine attempts to kills cancer cells by administering specific sound frequencies to the body. The machine allegedly sends the sound waves deep into the tissues and is so effective that all that is required is a three-minute treatment every other day. While the promoters of this super-treatment (which costs thousands of dollars) claim phenomenal success, their claims are lacking evidentiary support.

5. DHEA Therapy

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is a potent steroid hormone. The body produces low quantities of DHEA naturally, but the production of DHEA decreases as the body ages. The DHEA promoters claim that the reduction in the "fountain of youth" hormone causes cancer, which is why high-dose DHEA supplementation is necessary to beat cancer. However, high doses of DHEA can potentially cause liver and prostate damage. While the research into the benefits of DHEA continues, so far no proof has been produced showing that DHEA helps fight cancer.

A mesothelioma prognosis is a difficult reality to contemplate. Those who are diagnosed with the disease typically die within one to two years. Due to the shortened lifespan of those stricken by the illness, it is especially important to avoid fake treatments and receive care from a qualified medical professional. A mesothelioma attorney may be able to help you receive financial compensation in order to cover some of the costs of your treatments.

If you have received a mesothelioma diagnosis due to asbestos exposure, consult a physician about your mesothelioma prognosis as well as an attorney regarding possible legal action.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shane_Ceatus

http://EzineArticles.com/?Five-Fake-Treatments-for-Mesothelioma&id=5371956

LINKS

• Principles of Pulmonary Medicine, 5e (PRINCIPLES OF PULMONARY MEDICINE (WEINBERGER))
• General Thoracic Surgery (General Thoracic Surgery (Shields)) [2 VOLUME SET]
• Disease & Drug Consult: Respiratory Disorders
• NEJM Clinical Problem Solving (New England Journal of Medicine)

How to Reduce Pressure for Patients With Mesothelioma

By Rofiq Hidayat


Someone who is suffering from a disease not to mention the disease mesothelioma, should be able to regulate emotions. And should be more aware that the pressure of unbridled emotion and continue to accumulate can cause a variety of physical ailments.

What does it mean?

Before I answer the question above I'll tell you an analogy that I got from Dr. Anthony Fernando.
Reducing stress can use an analogy of a draft of a ship sectional, that is to overcome when the ship collision that resulted in the sinking ship. Here, the role that localizes the septum so that water does not spread.

Now you imagine that your life like a ship sectional and between your day is like a bulkhead of a ship.
Just like a ship compartment that serves to block water, every day you should be able to block out a problem.

That means you do not have to constantly analyze the past and are too worried about the future. Noteworthy is today / this problem.

How does this practice?

Within days of starting on the morning after waking, with calm yourself imagine that you close the compartment and the focus of the day yesterday looking for a solution to solving the problem on this day.
Is this not actually create new problems because we are only fixated on these days without being able to imagine the success (happiness).

My answer is NO, why? because we speak the design of a ship and used to what it ships later. So we do not just look at each partition of your life but, how and to what a ship is made.

So here we can conclude that in designing healing diseases including mesothelioma, we should not get stuck in regret the past nor fear the future, because after we design a healing solution to reduce the stress we should focus only on healing today. Is not the only focus one more problem we can get out of the problem and appropriate answers to the above when we pile up every day just is not the problem of complications in the can. Try to contemplate!

Rofiq Hidayat

On http://mesothelioma-institute.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rofiq_Hidayat

http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Reduce-Pressure-for-Patients-With-Mesothelioma&id=5384896


LINKS
 

Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers: A Patient's Guide


About the Author Paul Kraus was born in 1944 in Austria and migrated with his parents to Australia as a young child. He received his BA at Macquarie University and a Master of Arts and Education from the University of Sydney. For most of his working life he has been a high school history teacher. It was during a summer vacation job as a university student that he was exposed to asbestos. Over thirty years later he was diagnosed with mesothelioma, the asbestos related cancer. Today, he works as a freelance writer and journalist. He, his wife and their two miniature schnauzers live north of Sydney in the city of Newcastle. More information about Paul Kraus and his story can be found at his website: survivingmesothelioma.com

Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers: A Patient's Guide

100 Questions & Answers About Mesothelioma, Second Edition

Whether you re a newly diagnosed Mesothelioma patient, a survivor, or a friend or relative of either, this book offers help. Completely revised and updated for this second edition, this is the only book to provide the doctor s and patient s views. 100 Questions & Answers About Mesothelioma, Second Edition gives you authoritative, practical answers to your questions about treatment options, post-treatment quality of life, sources of support, legal options, and much more. This outstanding team of authors led by a world-class lung disease expert and including an insider s comments from the wife and caregiver of a patient provides an invaluable resource for anyone coping with the physical and emotional turmoil of this frightening disease.

100 Questions & Answers About Mesothelioma, Second Edition

Mesothelioma - An Overview To A Deadly Cancer

By Thomas Ajava


Most people know about Mesothelioma if for no other reason than the name is so difficult to pronounce. It is pronounced "me-so-thee-lee-o-ma" by the way. While the name may be a bit funny, there is nothing else humorous about this latent killer.

Exactly where do we start when talking about Mesothelioma cancer? One thing to realize is it's a really frightening type of malignancy. It is referred to in the media as an extremely ambitious and quick developing cancer, however this really is wrong. It really is slow developing, yet is one of the most lethal forms of the big "C" around. Just how can both of these claims be accurate? It boils down to the diagnosis of the offending abnormal growths in the body. Specifically, they are extremely hard to locate. Most early discoveries of the cancer only occur by sheer accident when a doctor is looking for something else. Given this, most Mesothelioma growths are only discovered after decades have passed and the patient has little time left to live.

Yes, but what precisely is this disease? There's a cellular lining found throughout the center of the torso referred to as the mesothelium. This cellular lining behaves as a protective shield for the internal organs in your body. It contains 2 cellular levels with a lube in between them. This enables internal organs to maneuver without getting harmed, to wit, one's heart to beat, the lungs to breathe in and out, the belly to inflate and so forth. As the title would suggest, Mesothelioma is really a malignancy on this cellular lining. Because the cellular lining is actually almost everywhere in the body, the malignancy can easily spread all through the body trunk from as far down as the groin up through the throat area.

Interestingly, there isn't any Mesothelioma cancer by itself. Rather, it's an expression used to touch on to a subset of malignancies which are based on exactly where they strike our bodies. Pericardial Mesothelioma is a cancer growth associated with the mesothelium encircling one's heart. When found in the abdomen area, this cancer is known as Peritoneal Mesothelioma. Pleural Mesothelioma is a malignant growth of the liner within the higher upper body about the lung area, and is easily the most typical type of this particular disease. There's also additional rare types of the cancer that may affect places such as the crotch. They're really uncommon, however, so there is no need to delve into them in this article.

A person cannot point out Mesothelioma cancer while not talking about asbestos fiber. Asbestos exposure is easily the most typical reason for the malignancy, so much so that an effort was made in 1989 to ban the substance in the country. The ban was partially overturned by an appellate court, but that is an issue of another article.

How can we define Mesothelioma? It's a type of malignancy that's extremely lethal and frightening, one that's connected with contact with asbestos fiber.

Thomas Ajava is with MesotheliomaAttorneyAssistance.com - where you can find Mesothelioma attorney assistance and information on Mesothelioma and asbestos.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Ajava


http://EzineArticles.com/?Mesothelioma---An-Overview-To-A-Deadly-Cancer&id=5162597

LINKS

• Surviving Mesothelioma and Other Cancers: A Patient's Guide
• 100 Questions & Answers About Mesothelioma, Second Edition
• Mesothelioma
• They Said Months. I Chose Years! A Mesothelioma Survivor's Story
• 101 Facts About Mesothelioma

Asbestos in Your Home: The Hidden Killer

By Cresta B.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a set of six minerals that is commonly used in various building purposes. Fibrous and naturally occurring, this material has been used for around 4,000 years now, with people using them then for different infrastructures, unknowing about the dangers that the material exposes them to. Since the boom in mining of asbestos during the 19th century, asbestos has been sought after for production because:

1. It is quite affordable. Compared to other mineral sets that are used in electrical wiring production, asbestos is relatively cheaper to use- all the more appealing to construction.
2. It has good sound absorption.
3. It is with tensile strength that is up to par. Builders require materials to have a good maximum capacity to handle tensile pressure, and asbestos presents a fair amount of tensile strength.
4. It can withstand various damages such as heat (even fire, to a degree), electrical and chemical damages

But sadly, the cons outweigh the pros of using asbestos. Disregarding the advantages stated above, and considering that even in varying durations of exposure, be it a short or a long-term kind of exposure, asbestos is extremely hazardous to your health:

• Asbestos inhalation may cause:

- Asbestosis - which is a lung condition wherein the linings of the lungs become scarred, thicken, and will eventually result in various degrees of difficulty in breathing because of fibrous tissue.
- Certain lung cancers, particularly Mesothelioma - which is a very aggressive kind of malignant cancer. It spreads not only in the linings of the lungs but also to the entire abdominal cavity. There are even subtypes of this, such as:

• Pleural - with regards to the lung space
• Peritoneal, - with regards to the abdominal cavity and
• Pericardial Mesothelioma - which affects even the heart area!

Now, bear in mind that asbestos is not only used in building different commercial infrastructures, but also in different components in your home! That's right, you can find asbestos in materials used to make:

• Cement shingles
• Wall components
• Textured paint
• Spray-on decor
• Fire-proof materials such as stove pads and gloves
• Furnace ducts
• Metal piping's and tubings
• Gaskets
• And much, much more!

The chances of having asbestos in your home increases the older your house is. Especially if your house was built during the 1930's or 50's, asbestos was most probably used even in your home's central insulation.

While new houses are least susceptible to having asbestos, still, these may be found in your very home! Have the walls, floorings, and your floor mats of your house checked. It is definitely better to be safe than sorry. Never touch suspected asbestos-containing materials in your home with your bare hands, and take care not to disturb woven in materials that may have been damaged. Trauma in different ways such as tearing, pinching or slight prodding inflicted to such might trigger the release of asbestos fibers that is very deadly to your health.

Get a professional to handle the removal of asbestos in your home. Be it major or even minor repairs or total asbestos removal, you should leave it to a trained individual to ensure that your house is asbestos-free.

Cresta is a twenty-something home improvement writer from the South East. She just had her flat checked for asbestos and bugs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cresta_B.
http://EzineArticles.com/?Asbestos-in-Your-Home:-The-Hidden-Killer&id=7110405
 
BOOKS

• Be A Survivor: Lung Cancer Treatment Guide
• Lung Cancer: Myths, Facts, Choices--and Hope
• Lung Cancer: A Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment
• Principles and Practice of Lung Cancer: The Official Reference Text of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) (Pass, Lung Cancer)
• 100 Questions & Answers About Lung Cancer, Second Edition
• Lung Cancer: A Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment