Multi-modality treatment approaches have long been viewed as offering the best outcomes for patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. But a recent study conducted at Canada’s Toronto General Hospital’s Research Institute has suggested that shifting the therapies used might provide even better results.
Radiotherapy, Immunotherapy, and Surgery Extends Pleural Mesothelioma Survival
Though malignant pleural mesothelioma is always considered a terminal diagnosis, physicians and researchers have worked to find protocols to improve quality of life and extend survival. Available treatments have generally included surgery to reduce or remove tumors, chemotherapy to kill mesothelioma cells, and radiation therapy to shrink the size of tumors, and these have been used in a variety of combinations.
In recent years, immunotherapy has been added to the available toolkit of mesothelioma therapies, and scientists have explored how this innovation can fit into their plans. Now researchers say that a blend of radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and surgery may offer significant survival benefits.
Study Shows Immunotherapy Improves Effectiveness of Radiotherapy in Mesothelioma
The Canadian researchers understood that traditional use of radiation in mesothelioma was stimulating the immune system at the same time that the cancer cells were releasing proteins to suppress it. To counter this effect, they deployed targeted immunotherapy that both boosted the impact of the radiation and shut down the mesothelioma cell’s suppression proteins. Following this combination, they then proceeded with surgical removal of the tumors.
Though the mesothelioma study was conducted on laboratory animals, the researchers hope to move on to test it on human patients diagnosed with the rare, asbestos-related form of cancer.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma, these state-of-the-art treatments offer significant hope. For more information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
