Mesothelioma patients in the U.S. tend to focus on treatment and research that is going on here within our own country. Malignant mesothelioma is a global problem, however. Developed nations around the world used asbestos in the same way that we did here.
That means that their populations have been just as badly hurt, and that their research organizations are pursuing a cure with the same amount of vigor as goes on in America.
One of the most notable organizations dedicated to finding better treatment for mesothelioma is the Leicester Mesothelioma Research Program, a multidisciplinary research partnership between the University of Leicester and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS trust.
The group announced that they’ve received a donation of $2.5 million GBP from the British Lung Foundation, and that with that money they will be developing a groundbreaking new umbrella study called the Mesothelioma Stratified Therapy, or MisT.
MisT will be focused on personalized medical treatment for mesothelioma patients, and specifically at identifying which patients are likely to get the greatest benefit from the therapies that are available.
In announcing MisT, the organization noticed that “some patients’ mesothelioma are drug-sensitive, whilst others are resistant. In recent years, it has become clear that in order to maximize the benefit of anticancer drugs, a one-size fits-all approach is no longer applicable.”
To that end, the trial is welcoming patients who have been treated with chemotherapy unsuccessfully. Their tumors will be categorized based on the presence of specific molecular biomarkers, and will then receive up to four different treatments sequentially.
The hope is that through identification of information from the original biopsy, the researchers will gain a greater understanding of why patients do or do not respond to specific treatments, and how best to treat patients going forward. They also hope to learn what makes tumors resistant to specific treatments.
Finding a cure for mesothelioma is a worldwide goal. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with this rare and fatal form of cancer and you need more information, contact the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net today at 1-800-692-8608.
