A Phase II trial for the purpose of finding a new mesothelioma treatment is underway. The trial aims to determine if pemetrexed disodium plus gemcitabine is a more effective way of treating patients with
malignant pleural mesothelioma than administering pemetrexed disodium and carboplatin. The goal of this trial is to ascertain which combination of chemotherapy drugs works best given that different chemotherapy drugs produce different outcomes when treating mesothelioma. Whereas some chemotherapy drugs work to halt the division of cancerous cells others work to kill them.
This new malignant mesothelioma research and trial study will compare the toxic effects that each of these regimens have on patients, along with survival times for patients on either regimen.
Mesothelioma research doctors will also see what effect each of these regimes have on the habits of patients who smoke.
As of December 2006, this study is recruiting patients.
Mesothelioma is a 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). While it is a rare malignancy in the general population, it is commonly found in individuals exposed to Asbestos. In fact, in the United States, Asbestos is the only confirmed cause of mesothelioma. There is no known cure for the disease, prompting doctors to conduct research trials in attempts to find
new mesothelioma treatments.
Research of mesothelioma shows that this malignant condition usually develops years after initial exposure to Asbestos. Indeed, the latency period can range from ten to fifty years. For this reason, people diagnosed with mesothelioma may be shocked to learn that a short-term exposure to Asbestos years ago is the source of their present-day affliction.
To learn more about this study and ongoing mesothelioma research please click on the following link to visit the website of ClinicalTrials.gov:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00101283
