Mesothelioma Treatment Centers www.mesorc.com Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, representing less than 1 percent of all cancer types, and its rarity makes it important for sufferers to be treated at centers with the proper level of expertise. Please see below for a regional listing of Mesothelioma treatment centers and links to these institutions’ websites for more information.

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.
Retinoids which are chemically related to vitamin A have been implicated as anti-carcinogenic. For example, according to an article published in a leading medical journal: “At the cellular level, the anti-leukemia and anti-cancer activity of retinoids is the result of three main actions, cell-differentiation, growth inhibition and apoptosis.”

In a 1988 study performed by the National Cancer Institute, the dietary patterns of mesothelioma patients were compared to those of healthy individuals. According to the article, mesothelioma patients ate less homegrown, cruciferous vegetables and all vegetables combined before they were diagnosed compared to healthy patients. Cruciferous vegetables, also called Brassica Vegetables, include Arugula, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Watercress, Bok Choy, Turnip Greens, Kale, and Mustard Greens. The researchers also pointed out that carotene intake was significantly lower for the mesothelioma patients. Carotene is a precursor to vitamin A.

In this 1996 study from the Division of Epidemiology of the American Health Foundation, the investigators examined the association between dietary intake and mesothelioma by studying 94 men and women with malignant mesothelioma and 64 people without cancer. They concluded that their results provided “some justification for the hypothesis that provitamin A or beta-carotene may decrease the risk of mesothelioma. Provitamin A is any of the carotenoids that are precursors of vitamin A and can be found in fish-liver oils, egg yolk, milk products, green-leaf or yellow vegetables, and fruits.

In a study from 2002, researchers looked at mesothelioma cells in vitro (in test tubes or Petri dishes outside the body) and found that retinoic acid (the oxidized form of Vitamin A) “may lead to a decrease of mesothelioma cell local invasion.” They interpreted this to mean that retinoic acid may modify how mesothelioma grows and spreads in the body. This study suggests that vitamin A levels could possibly affect the aggressiveness of mesothelioma once someone is diagnosed with the disease, thus making mesothelioma metastases unlikely.

And in 2006, Australian researchers looked at former workers and residents exposed to crocidolite (blue asbestos) in Western Australia. Their findings suggested that “people with chronically low plasma levels of retinol (the fat-soluble animal form of vitamin A found in liver and eggs) have increased risk of developing mesothelioma and lung cancer.”

Will vitamin A eventually become part of conventional treatment modality for the prevention or treatment of mesothelioma? These independent studies are very preliminary, but their conclusions are intriguing. In addition, there are anecdotal reports of long-time mesothelioma survivors using vitamin A as part of their healing regiments. But first a great deal more research is needed.

Mesothelioma patients willing to add Vitamin A as part of their cancer treatment should discuss with their doctor on the use of Vitamin A before proceeding on the use.

Bello kamorudeen. For more information on mesothelioma visit http://www.mesotheliomacorner.blogspot.comArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/cancer-articles/vitamin-a-possible-new-drug-for-mesothelioma-1346995.html

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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.

2- Clinical trials matching services

Over the past few years, several organizations have developed computer-based systems to match patients with studies they may be eligible for. This service is often offered online.

Each may differ somewhat in how it works. Some of the services allow you to search for clinical trials without registering at the site. If you have to register, they usually assure you that your information will be kept confidential. Either way, you will probably have to enter certain details, such as the type of cancer, the stage of the disease, and any previous treatments you may have had. When given this information, these systems can find clinical trials for which you may be eligible, and save you the time and effort of reading descriptions of studies that are not relevant to you. Some groups also allow you to subscribe to mailing lists so that you are informed as new studies open up.

Although they are usually free to users, most clinical trial matching services get paid for listing studies or get a finder’s fee from those running the studies when someone enrolls. Because of this, there may be some differences in the way they rank the studies, or the order in which they present the studies to you.

Because different services work differently, be sure you understand how the service you are looking at operates. Ask the following questions. (Note that the answers do not necessarily mean that the service is not worth using.)

•Is there a fee for using the service?

•Do I have to register to use the service?

•Does the service keep my information confidential?

•Where does the service get its list of clinical trials?

•Does the service rank the studies in any particular order? Is this based on fees they get?

•Can I contact the service through the Internet or by telephone?

Examples of clinical trials matching services are:

1- The American Cancer Society Clinical Trials Matching Service:

The American Cancer Society helps patients find high quality care in clinical trials that best match their medical needs and personal preferences, while helping researchers study more effective treatments for future patients

The TrialCheck® database, developed and maintained by the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups, is a comprehensive database that includes the Coalition, National Cancer Institute, and industry trials. To our knowledge, this is the most complete matching database of cancer clinical trials available.

The clinical trials information provided by the American Cancer Society is not biased in any way. It is updated every day, as is the contact information that allows patients to get in touch with the doctors and nurses at cancer centers running each of the studies.

You can access the TrialCheck at www.cancer.org (click on “Find a Clinical Trial”) or through a toll-free number, 1-800-303-5691.

2- The National Cancer Institute (NCI) sponsors most government-funded cancer clinical trials. The NCI has a list of active studies (those currently enrolling patients), as well as some privately funded studies. You can find the list on their Web site at www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials or by calling 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237). You can search the list by the type and stage of cancer, by the type of study (for example, treatment or prevention), or by zip code.

3- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has an even larger database of clinical trials at www.clinicaltrials.gov, but not all of these are cancer studies.

4- EmergingMed provides a free and confidential matching and referral service for cancer patients looking for clinical trials at www.emergingmed.com, or you can call 1-877-601-8601.

5- CenterWatch (www.centerwatch.com) is a publishing and information services company that keeps a list of both industry-sponsored and government-funded clinical trials for cancer and other diseases.

6- Private companies, such as pharmaceutical or biotechnology firms, may list the studies they are sponsoring on their Web sites or offer toll-free numbers so you can call and ask about them. Some of these firms also offer matching systems for the studies they sponsor. This can be helpful if you are interested in research on a particular experimental treatment and know which company is developing it.

Bello kamorudeen.For more information on Mesothelioma treatment go to http://www.mesotheliomacorner.blogspot.comArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/cancer-articles/how-to-choose-the-best-mesothelioma-clinical-trial-1346791.html

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.

3- Even among clinical trials that do study treatments, not all of them study drugs

Many clinical trials test other forms of treatment, such as new surgery or radiation therapy techniques, or even complementary or alternative medicines or techniques.

4- Not all clinical trails study new treatment methods

Some clinical trials are about the study of already approved drugs. Even after a drug has been approved for use against a type of cancer, doctors sometimes find it works better when given a certain way or when combined with other treatments. It may even work on a different cancer. Clinical trials are needed to study these possibilities as well.

5- Mesothelioma cancer clinical trials do not usually involve the use of a placebo

A placebo is an inactive ingredient or pill used in some types of clinical trials to help make sure results are unbiased. A placebo is sometimes called a “sugar pill.” Over the years, doctors have observed that some people begin to feel better even if they just think they’re being treated. Although this effect tends to be brief, and does not really affect a cancer, it can make a new treatment seem to help. The possibility of getting a placebo keeps people from knowing if they are getting the treatment being studied or not, which makes the results more likely to be valid.

Placebos are rarely used alone in cancer research unless no known effective treatments exist. It’s certainly not ethical to have someone take a placebo if an effective standard treatment is already available especially in the case of a grave disease like mesothelioma cancer. When cancer clinical trials compare treatments, they compare the new treatment against the current standard treatment. At times, a study may be designed so that patients may not be told which one they are getting, but they know they are at least getting treatment that meets the current standard of care.

In some clinical trials, the doctors want to learn if adding a new drug to the standard therapy makes it work better. In these studies, some patients get the standard drug(s) and a new one, while other patients get the standard drug(s) and a placebo. But none of the patients would get only a placebo. Everyone gets standard treatment if there is a standard treatment available.

Bello kamorudeen.For more information on Mesothelioma treatment go to http://www.mesotheliomacancer.blogspot.comArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/cancer-articles/5-important-facts-about-mesothelioma-clinical-trials-1340099.html

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.

Phase 0 studies help researchers find out early which drugs do not do what they are expected to do. If there are problems with the way the drug is absorbed or acts in the body, this should become clear very quickly in a phase 0 trial. This process may help avoid the delay and expense of finding out years later in phase II or even phase III clinical trials that the drug doesn’t act as it was expected to based on lab studies.

The studies are very small, mostly with fewer than 20 people. Although this phase 0 is not a compulsory part of testing a new drug, it is used as part of an effort to speed up and streamline the process of testing new drugs.

2-Phase I clinical trials: How safe is the new treatment?

Although the treatment has been tested in lab and animal studies, the side effects in people can’t always be predicted. For this reason, these studies usually include a small number of people (15 to 50). These studies are usually done in major cancer centers.

The main reasons for doing phase I studies are to find out the highest dose of the new treatment that can be given safely (without serious side effects) and to decide on the best way to give the new treatment. The first few people in the study often get a low dose of the treatment and are watched very closely. If there are only minor side effects, the next few patients may get a higher dose. This process continues until doctors find the dose that is most likely to work while having an acceptable level of side effects.

Safety is the main concern at this point because this is usually the first time the treatment has been used in people. Doctors keep a close eye on how the people in the study are doing. They watch for any common but serious side effects. Special tests, such as blood tests to measure levels of the drug in the body at certain time points, are often a part of these clinical trials. Some studies may require time in a hospital.

These studies are not designed to find out if the new treatment works against cancer. Overall, these trials are the ones with the most potential risk. And only phase 0 has a smaller chance of helping you than phase I. But phase I studies do help some patients. For those with life-threatening illnesses like mesothelioma, weighing the potential risks and benefits carefully is needed.

3-Phase II clinical trials: How effective is the new treatment?

If a new treatment is found to be reasonably safe in phase I clinical trials, the treatment can then be tested in a phase II clinical trial to see if it works the way researchers think it will.

Usually, a group of 25 to 100 patients with mesothelioma cancer gets the new treatment in a phase II study. They are treated using the dose and method found to be most safe and effective in phase I studies. In a typical phase II clinical trial, all the volunteers usually get the same dose, and no placebo is used.

But some phase II studies do randomly assign participants to 1 of 2 treatment groups, much like what is done in phase III trials (see below). These groups may get different doses or get the treatment in different ways to see which provides the best balance of safety and effectiveness. Phase II studies are often done at major cancer centers, but may also be done in community hospitals or even doctors’ offices.

Doctors look for some evidence that the treatment works. The type of benefit or response they look for depends on the goals of the clinical trial. This may mean the tumor shrinks or disappears. Or it might mean there is an extended period of time where the tumor does not get any bigger, or there is a longer time before a cancer comes back. In some studies the benefit may be an improved quality of life. Many studies look to see if people getting the new treatment live longer than they would have been expected to without the treatment.

If a certain percentage of the patients benefit from the treatment, and the side effects aren’t too bad, the treatment is allowed to go on to a phase III clinical trial. Along with watching for responses, the research team keeps looking for any side effects. Larger numbers of patients get the treatment in phase II studies, so there is a better chance that less common side effects may be seen.

4-Phase III clinical trials: Is it better than what’s already available?

Treatments that have been shown to work in phase II studies usually must go through one more stage of testing before they are approved for general use. Phase III clinical trials compare the safety and effectiveness of the new treatment against the current standard treatment.

Phase III clinical trials usually have a large number of patients, at least several hundred. These studies are often done in many places across the country (or even around the world) at the same time. They are more likely to be offered by community-based oncologists.

Because doctors do not yet know which treatment is better, patients are often chosen at random, (called randomized) to get either the standard treatment or the new treatment. When possible, neither the doctor nor the patient knows which of the treatments the patient is getting. This type of study is called a double-blind study.

As with other studies, patients in phase III clinical trials are watched closely for side effects, and treatment is stopped if they are too bad.
Randomization is used in many phase III studies because it helps reduce the risk that one group will be different from the other when they go into the study, which could affect outcome. Blinding reduces the risk that the doctors will be biased in their evaluations of the patients’ outcomes. These controls help make the study results more credible.

5-Phase IV clinical trials: What else is there to know about the drug?

Although a drug might have been approved for general usage, the full effects of the treatment may not be known, and their might still be some questions about the drug that are yet to be answered. For example, a drug may approved by the relevant drug regulatory authority based on the fact that it was shown to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence but does this mean that those who get it are more likely to live longer? Are there rare side effects that haven’t been seen yet, or side effects that only show up after the drug is used for a long time? These types of questions may take many years to answer fully, and may not be critical for getting a medicine to market. They are often addressed in what are known as phase IV clinical trials.

Phase IV studies look at drugs that have already been approved by the relevant drug regulatory bodies. They are already available for doctors to give to patients, but these studies are still needed to answer important questions.

When thinking about taking part in a phase IV trial, you should know that the drug has already been approved for use. The care you would get in these types of studies often is very much like what you could expect if you were to get the treatment outside of a clinical trial. You should be reassured that in taking part you would be getting a form of treatment that has already passed through different phases of testing and that you would be doing a service to future patients.

Bello kamorudeen.For more information on Mesothelioma treatment go to http://www.mesotheliomacorner.blogspot.comArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/cancer-articles/what-are-the-different-stages-of-a-mesothelioma-clinical-trial-1339878.html