A recently completed clinical study is pointing to a new, functional precision medicine approach to cancer that may improve outcomes for patients diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma. The new strategy, the creation of cancer researcher Diana Azzam of Florida International University, targets individual patients’ cancers by combining genetic testing with a new way to test their response to drugs.
Can a New Approach Turn Mesothelioma into a More Manageable Disease?
Writing in the journal Nature Medicine, Azzam describes the protocol that is offering hope to mesothelioma patients and others with aggressive cancers. She tested the approach on relapsed pediatric cancer patients at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami and found that 83% of the children showed improvement.
Speaking of the success and how it could be used in other cancers, including mesothelioma, the assistant professor of environmental health sciences at FIU’s Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work and Society for Functional Precision board member said, “The results are exciting because cancer that comes back is much harder to treat. Seeing improvement in 83 percent of patients is incredibly promising. This could be the way we turn cancer into a manageable disease.
Protocol Could Guide Physicians to Faster and More Effective Mesothelioma Treatments
Though the test was not conducted on patients with malignant mesothelioma, the approach can be applied to all types of cancers. It takes a sample of blood or a tumor and then enriches and processes the cells to replicate their growth in the body. It then exposes the cells to more than 120 FDA-approved cancer and non-cancer drugs alone and in various combinations to identify the best approach to destroying that particular cancer. The process takes about one week from start to finish.
If the system becomes available, oncologists treating patients with mesothelioma could derive real benefits. According to Stempel College Dean Tomas R. Guilarte, “The Azzam lab approach gets rid of the guesswork and delivers a list of the most effective drugs that the oncologist can work with. It’s accelerating our understanding of which cancer treatments work best for patients and their specific needs.”
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with malignant mesothelioma or another asbestos-related cancer, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can connect you with facilities that are offering innovative care. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608.
