Even though there is no cure for mesothelioma, researchers are still working diligently to find one, as well as new treatments that are more effective. One new procedure that researchers hope to use more often in treating cancer is anti-angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis is the process of making new blood vessels. A normal, healthy person’s body will make new blood vessels as needed to transport blood to all its cells, as well as heal wounds and repair damage. However, in a person with cancer, angiogenesis also creates small blood vessels that supply a tumor with its own blood and allow it to grow.

Anti-angiogenesis uses drugs or other substances to prevent tumors from making new blood vessels, thereby preventing the tumor from growing. This process may also cause large tumors to shrink.

Through research, scientists have discovered various pathways that cancer cells can use to create blood vessel growth. The good news is that each of these pathways is a possible target for treating cancer. Another bit of good news is that anti-angiogenesis drugs tend to have milder side effects than chemotherapy drugs, primarily because they work differently in the body. They do not harm normal cells which often cause the typical chemotherapy side effects of nausea, vomiting, hair loss, and diarrhea.

Anti-angiogenesis drugs do have side effects, however, including the risk of internal bleeding, developing a hole in the digestive tract, or increased blood pressure. Additionally, because anti-angiogenesis drugs are still undergoing research, there are still likely to be other side effects that have not yet occurred.

Anti-angiogenesis research has been ongoing for more than three decades, with several hundred clinical trials presently underway, including trials on patients with malignant mesothelioma. In 2004, the first anti-angiogenesis drug received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. This drug, known as bevacizumab (Avastin), is now used in combination with chemotherapy to treat some forms of cancer.

Finding the right mesothelioma doctor, as well as having the opportunity to join a clinical trial, requires that you have information on all your options, particularly legal and financial. Mesothelioma treatments are expensive and must be received in a timely manner to be most effective. By contacting an experienced mesothelioma lawyer, you will learn what options you have, as well as information regarding good medical facilities. Contact us today for a free consultation.

New mesothelioma treatments are being studied regularly, often in conjunction with other traditional treatments such as chemotherapy or surgery. One of these treatments is photodynamic therapy (PDT). A light-activated drug is injected into a vein, spreading throughout the body and eventually collecting in cancer cells. After several days, typically after mesothelioma surgery, a fixed frequency light is inserted into the cancer site through a fiber optic device allowing the light to be manipulated by the doctor.

The cancer cells die when exposed to the light which activates the drug that has been absorbed. The light exposure must be timed appropriately so that the normal cells have had time to discard the drug, while the cancerous cells are still holding on to it.

The major side effect of PDT is skin sensitivity, as well as nausea, vomiting, and sometimes a metallic taste in the mouth. Clinical trials are underway to evaluate PDT for cancers of the brain, skin, prostate, cervix and peritoneal cavity. While PDT is still undergoing testing, it has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment and relief of esophageal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. The FDA approved agent is called porfirmer sodium, or Photofrin.

There are hundreds of clinical trials still accepting patients who have malignant mesothelioma. Finding the right clinical trial requires that you have information on all your options, particularly legal and financial. Mesothelioma treatments are expensive and must be received in a timely manner to be most effective. By contacting an experienced mesothelioma lawyer, you will learn what options you have, as well as information regarding good medical facilities. Contact us today for a free consultation.