A clinical trial is underway to determine if the cancer treatment drug AZD2171 can interrupt blood flow to tumors and deter some of the enzymes required for cell growth in the tumors of patients with
malignant mesothelioma. Research is being conducted in the Phase II clinical trial, which is taking place across the country and is officially being called "A Phase II Trial of Novel Oral Anti-Angiogenic Agent AZD2171 (NSC-732208) in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma." This cancer research, while only in early stages, attempts to find a viable treatment option to halt this rare form of lung cancer - known as mesothelioma - with new cancer treatment drugs.
Researchers conducting this study will be looking to record the side effects that the drug causes, the overall 1-year median survival rate for those whom are prescribed the drug, as well what the average prognosis is for patients who have taken the drug for a year as a
mesothelioma treatment option.
As of December, 2006, this study was still recruiting patients.
To learn more about this multi-center research study on malignant mesothelioma, please click on the following link to visit
ClinicalTrials.gov. Mesothelioma is a malignant cancer in the lining of the lungs, known as the pleura (pleural mesothelioma), or the lining of the abdominal cavity, known as the peritoneum (peritoneal mesothelioma). Although mesothelioma is a rare in the general population, it is commonly found in people who were exposed to Asbestos. In fact, in the United States, Asbestos is the only confirmed cause of malignant mesothelioma. Cancer treatment drug research aims to provide a more effective and viable treatment options to combat this disease.
Mesothelioma usually develops years after an initial expose to Asbestos. Indeed, the latency period can range from ten to fifty years according to most
malignant mesothelioma research. For this reason, people diagnosed with mesothelioma may be shocked to learn that short-term exposure to Asbestos years ago is the source of their present-day affliction.
