Abdomen
The central trunk section of the body below the chest area. The abdomen contains some of the body’s major organs, such as the stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas and intestines.

Adjuvant therapy
Adjuvant treatment is given after the primary treatment to increase the chances of a cure. Adjuvant therapy may include chemotherapy, radiation therapy or biological therapy.

Adjuvant radiation
Radiation that aids in removing or preventing a disease. For example, a person with mesothelioma may be treated primarily with chemotherapy, supplemented by adjuvant radiation.

Alimta
Alimta (generic name: pemetrexed) is a chemotherapy drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Patients also typically receive cisplatin (a platinum agent), another widely used chemotherapy drug, in combination with Alimta.

Alternative medicine
Practices used instead of or in addition to standard treatments. The medical community generally does not recognize them as standard or conventional medical approaches. Alternative medicine may include dietary supplements, mega dose vitamins, herbal preparations, special teas, acupuncture, massage therapy, magnet therapy, spiritual healing, and meditation.

Anesthetic
A drug that causes numbness or loss of feeling or awareness (anesthesia). A general anesthetic causes the patient to fall asleep, whereas a local anesthetic affects only a part of the body.

Asbestos
A naturally occurring substance, mined from rock and made up of tiny fibers, used extensively in thousands of building and insulation products. It is considered the primary cause of mesothelioma.

Asbestosis
A non-cancerous lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. The fibers tear the tissue of the wall, causing the lung tissue to scar, becoming stiff and preventing the lung from working as it is supposed to. Asbestosis is progressive (it gets worse over time).

Aspiration
The process of removing fluid or tissue, or both, from a specific area, typically by using a needle or tube.

Benign
Benign tumors (non-cancerous) do not spread to tissues around them or to other parts of the body.

Biopsy
The process of surgically removing tissue from the body. Tissue from a biopsy is examined in a laboratory under a microscope in order to make a diagnosis.

Brachytherapy
Radiation therapy whereby radioactive materials are placed directly inside the chest or the abdomen at the site of the mesothelioma or another form of cancer.

Bronchoscope
A bronchoscope is a flexible, lighted tube that is inserted through the mouth into the lungs to examine air passages. The procedure itself is called a bronchoscopy.

Bronchoscopy (bron-KOS-ko-pee)
A procedure in which a thin, lighted tube is inserted through the nose or mouth. This allows examination of the inside of the trachea and bronchi (passages that deliver air to the lungs), as well as the lung. Bronchoscopy may be used to detect cancer or to perform some treatment procedures.

Cancer
Refers to a disease where the cells divide in an uncontrolled manner.

Catheter
A flexible tube used to deliver fluids into or withdraw fluids from the body.

Chemotherapy (kee-mo-THER-a-pee)
The use of drugs or chemical agents in the treatment or control of disease.

Clinical Trial
A research study that attempts to improve current treatments or finds information on new treatments for particular diseases.

Combination chemotherapy
Treatment using more than one anti-cancer drug.

Complementary medicine
Practices that are meant to enhance or complement standard medical treatment for a particular disease.

CT/CAT (Computed Tomography) scan
A test that uses computers and x-rays to create images of the various parts of the body.

Decortication
Removal of part of, or the entire external surface of, an organ.

Diaphragm
A muscular wall separating the abdomen from the cavity containing the lungs and heart.

Effusion
A collection of fluid in a body cavity, usually between two adjoining tissues. For example, a pleural effusion is the collection of fluid between two layers of the pleura (the sac around the lung).

External radiation
Radiation that is directed onto the skin over a cancerous region within the body.

Extrapleural pneumonectomy
The surgical removal of the pleura, diaphragm, pericardium and the whole lung on the side of the cancerous tumor. It is intended to remove all or most of the cancer and some surrounding tissues as well.

Fluoroscopy
A diagnostic procedure in which x-rays that have passed through the body are projected onto a screen, providing a continuous image of the body’s internal structures.

Gene therapy
Insertion of normal or genetically altered genes into cells, usually to replace defective genes.

General anesthetic
A drug that causes loss of feeling or pain. When a general anesthetic is used during a medical procedure, the patient is typically asleep.

Immunoaugmentive therapy (”IAT”)
A developing treatment for mesothelioma that seeks to strengthen the body’s natural immune system by balancing four blood proteins.

Internal radiation therapy
Placing the radiation treatment source into or near the cancer. This procedure is also called brachytherapy or internal radiation.

Intraoperative photodynamic therapy
A developing treatment for mesothelioma. A drug that makes cancer cells more sensitive to light is injected into a vein several days before surgery. The drug helps the surgeon better identify and remove cancerous growths. A special light is shone on the area during the surgery, which increases the chance of the surgeon seeing, and therefore removing, more of the cancer.

Intrapericardial chemotherapy
Chemotherapy drugs injected directly into the pericardium, the lining of the heart.

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy
Treatment in which anti-cancer drugs are put directly into the abdominal cavity through a thin tube.

Intrapleural chemotherapy
Treatment in which anti-cancer drugs are put within the pleural cavity through a thin tube.

Historical Information

The following are just a small sample of events that occurred that provided companies with knowledge that asbestos was dangerous:

• 1918: Frederick Hoffman, a medical statistician for the Prudential Life Insurance Company, reported in a United States Department of Labor Bulletin that American life insurance companies generally deny coverage to asbestos workers because of the “assumed health-injurious conditions of the industry.”
• 1922: Louis Dublin, a statistician for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, writes that asbestos workers are at risk of injury to the lungs.
• 1930: One major asbestos company, Johns-Manville, produces a report, for internal company use only, detailing the fatalities and medical injuries of asbestos workers.
• 1932: A letter from the United States Bureau of Mines to asbestos manufacturer Eagle-Picher states, “It is now known that asbestos dust is one of the most dangerous dusts to which man is exposed.”
• 1933: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company doctors find that 29% of the workers at one Johns-Manville plant are suffering from asbestosis. Johns-Manville settles lawsuits by 11 employees on the condition that the lawyer for the employees agrees that he will not bring any new actions against Johns-Manville.
• 1934: Officials at Johns-Manville and Raybestos Manhattan rewrite an article about the diseases of asbestos workers written by a Metropolitan Life Insurance Company doctor to minimize the danger of asbestos dust.
• 1935: Johns-Manville and Raybestos Manhattan instruct the editor of Asbestos Magazine to publish nothing about asbestosis.
• 1936: A group of asbestos companies agree to sponsor research on the health effects of asbestos dust, but require that the companies have complete control over the disclosure of the results.
• 1937: Roy Bonsib, Chief Safety Inspector for the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, documents illnesses, such as asbestosis, and analyzes the dust-creating potential of installing and removing asbestos insulation.
• 1937-38: The Industrial Hygiene Digest at the Industrial Hygiene Foundation includes 2 articles about industrial types of cancer by workers working with asbestos.
• 1942: An Owens Corning corporate memorandum refers to “medical literature on asbestosis… [and] scores of publications in which the lung and skin hazards of asbestos are discussed.”
• 1942-43: The president of Johns-Manville says that the managers of another company were “a bunch of fools for notifying employees who had asbestosis.” When one of the people in attendance ask, “Do you mean to tell me you would let them work until they drop dead?” According to deposition testimony, the response was, “Yes. We save a lot of money that way.”
• 1944: Metropolitan Life Insurance Company finds 42 cases of asbestosis among 195 asbestos miners.
• 1944: The Journal of the Medical Association reports that asbestos is one of the “agents known or suspected to cause occupational cancer.”
• 1948: The American Petroleum Institute’s Medical Advisory Committee, whose members include oil giants, received a summary of a paper in which the chief pathologist for E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Co. suggested that the industry “aim at the complete elimination of the exposure” to asbestos.
• 1951: Asbestos companies remove all references to cancer before allowing publication of research they sponsor concerning exposure to asbestos.
• 1953: National Gypsum’s safety director wrote to the Indiana Division of Industrial Hygiene, recommending that acoustic plaster mixers wear respirators “because of the asbestos used on the product.” Another company official notes that the letter was “full of dynamite,” and urges that the letter be retrieved before reaching its destination. A memo from those files notes that the company “succeeded in stopping” the letter which “will be modified.”
• 1964: Dr. Irving Selikoff publishes a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, proving that people who work with asbestos containing materials have an abnormal incidence of asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma.
• 1989 and 1991: In 1989, the United States Environmental Protection Agency bans asbestos and most of its uses, but, in 1991, asbestos companies win a federal lawsuit that overturns the EPA’s asbestos ban.
• 1999: The Florida Supreme Court rules that Owens Corning willfully withheld information about the dangers of working with the company’s asbestos products. The Florida Supreme Court describes it as a “blatant disregard for human safety involving large numbers of people put at life-threatening risks.”

Asbestos exposure has been particularly heavy in certain kinds of job sites. Here is a partial list of such job sites:

• Chemical plants
• Power plants
• Refineries
• Steel mills
• Shipyards
• Manufacturing plants
• Commercial construction sites
• Residential construction sites
• Smelters
• Paper mills
• Oil fields

Trades

Exposure to asbestos has placed workers in a variety of trades at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma. Here is a partial list of such trades:

• Asbestos workers
• Insulation workers
• Automobile mechanics
• Shipyard workers
• Sailors on seagoing vessels and in dry docks
• Maintenance employees
• Chemical and petroleum workers
• Locomotive repairmen
• Stationary engineers
• Stationary firemen
• Power station operators
• Electric and gas utility workers
• Fabricated plate workers
• Paper-mill workers
• Construction contractors
• Plumbers
• Concrete workers
• Steel erectors
• Carpenters
• Electricians
• Pipe fitters
• Welders
• Oil field workers
• Boiler makers
• Steel workers
• Drywall finishers
• Painters
• Plasterers
• Iron workers
• Floor installers
• Masons
• Pot tenders

Mesothelioma (cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also spread (metastasize) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

The mesothelium is a membrane that covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is composed of two layers of cells: one layer immediately surrounds the organ; the other forms a sac around it. The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent structures.

The mesothelium has different names, depending on its location in the body. The pleura is the membrane that surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the chest cavity. The peritoneum is the mesothelial tissue that covers most of the organs in the abdominal cavity. The pericardium covers and protects the heart. The mesothelial tissue surrounding the male internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis. The tunica serosa uteri covers the internal reproductive organs in women.

The most prevalent form of this asbestos cancer is pleural mesothelioma, which arises in the pleura (the lining of the lungs and chest cavity). Peritoneal mesothelioma affects the lining of the abdominal wall, the peritoneum. Pericardial mesothelioma affects the pericardium, the lining of the heart.

These cancers mainly result due to exposure to asbestos. Typically the period of time between exposure to asbestos and visible onset of the disease is long. Thus many people who were exposed to asbestos decades ago are currently developing the disease. Opportunities to prevent these cancer illnesses were missed when the asbestos industry hid facts about the dangers of asbestos. Through numerous legal actions it has been proven that the asbestos industry was negligent for decades in hiding the serious dangers that result from asbestos exposure.

Although reported incidence rates have increased in the past 20 years, mesothelioma is still a relatively rare cancer. About 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year. Mesothelioma occurs more often in men than in women and risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or women at any age.

Source: PATHOLOGY OF ASBESTOS-RELATED DISEASES (Victor L. Roggli et al. eds., 2004)

Links

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Resources

Cancer Information Service (toll-free)

Telephone: 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237)

TTY: 1–800–332–8615

Online

NCI’s Web site: http://www.cancer.gov
LiveHelp, NCI’s live online assistance:
https://cissecure.nci.nih.gov/livehelp/welcome.asp

]]> http://www.themesotheliomasociety.com/mesothelioma-asbestos-cancer-facts-and-figures/feed 0 http://www.themesotheliomasociety.com/how-to-participate-in-mesothelioma-clinical-trials http://www.themesotheliomasociety.com/how-to-participate-in-mesothelioma-clinical-trials#comments Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:15:39 +0000 admin http://themesotheliomasociety.com/?p=58 Most oncologists (cancer doctors) specializing in the treatment of mesothelioma will be aware of the clinical trials that are in process or about to get underway and that are seeking patients who are fighting mesothelioma.

If you are a candidate, you should know that there are basically 4 types of clinical trials:

• Treatment trials - testing new approaches to cancer treatment, be it a drug, radiation therapy, multi-modal therapy, or a totally new treatment procedure.
• Prevention trials – testing new approaches to lowering the risk of developing a certain kind of cancer.
• Screening trials – testing new ways to detect cancer, particularly in its early stages. These are important trials in the field of mesothelioma, which is usually diagnosed in its late stages.
• Supportive care trials – testing ways to improve comfort and quality of life for cancer patients, often referred to as palliative treatments.

Patients can be involved in various phases of a trial:

• Phase I helps determine how a new drug should be given and attempts to measure safe dosage. This phase generally involves only a handful of volunteers.
• Phase II trials usually focus on one particular type of cancer and are used to test the safety of the drug and how well it works in combating a particular cancer.
• Phase III trials test new drugs or treatments in comparison with the current standard. In a process called randomization, the participant will be assigned to the standard group or the new drug/treatment group. Phase III trials are the largest and may often involve doctors and hospitals throughout the country.

Your doctor can best determine if you are a candidate for any ongoing trials and will take the responsibility of submitting the proper paperwork for consideration. Don’t be afraid to ask about participation in any type of clinical trials or inquire about one of which you may be aware.

Types of Mesothelioma

1. Pleural Mesothelioma

This type of cancer develops in the thin tissue lining that surrounds each of the lungs. The lining, called the pleura, is located inside the chest and completely encloses each of the lungs. In order to protect the lungs, the pleura produces a small amount of fluid. This fluid helps cushion the lungs, allowing them to move more smoothly during breathing

Non-cancerous pleural mesothelioma is a tumor that has not spread to other organs of the body. If the tumor is large, it may squeeze the lung itself and cause shortness of breath and pain.

Cancerous (malignant) pleural mesothelioma is due to the presence of a tumor that is cancerous and can spread to other parts of the body. This rare form of cancer is also found in the pleural sac lining that surrounds the lung. Exposure to asbestos is considered the primary cause of pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma may include shortness of breath, chest pain, back pain, pain in the rib cage, fluid build-up in the lung lining, hoarseness, coughing up blood, swelling of the face and arms, muscle weakness, paralysis and loss of senses. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions. It is important to see a doctor about any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.

2. Peritoneal Mesothelioma

This type of cancer develops in the abdominal lining. One way doctors diagnose peritoneal mesothelioma is by looking inside the abdominal cavity with an instrument called a peritoneoscope. In this procedure, a cut is made through the abdomen wall and the peritoneoscope is placed into the abdomen. This test, called a peritoneoscopy, is usually performed in the hospital.

Some patients develop excessive fluid in the abdomen, called an effusion. A doctor may take a sample of the fluid to diagnose this type of cancer. Fluid in the abdomen might also be drained to relieve symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma. The procedure for drawing out this fluid is called “paracentesis”.

The symptoms of this cancer may include stomach pain, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, hernia, fluid in the abdominal cavity or a mass in the abdomen. Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing or swelling of the neck or face. These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions. It is important to see a doctor about any of these symptoms. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.

3. Pericardial Mesothelioma

This is cancer of the sac that surrounds the heart. Your doctor may diagnose pericardial mesothelioma using a thoracoscope to perform a thoracoscopy, which might also involve opening up the chest cavity to remove the tumor.

Patients who develop excessive fluid around the heart, called an effusion, may have a sample of the fluid taken to diagnose pericardial mesothelioma.

Cell Types of Mesothelioma

A patient’s doctor or medical records may refer to the “cell type” of the malignant mesothelioma. This refers to the type of tissue where the cancer first developed. For example, “epithelial” malignant mesothelioma refers to cancerous cells that develop in the “epithelium,” which is the membrane lining of the lung, heart or abdomen. In contrast, “sarcomatous” malignant mesothelioma arises in connective tissue. “Biphasic” refers to malignant mesothelioma that arises in two different cell types. Other cell types of malignant mesothelioma are lymphohistiocytoid and desmoplastic.

Sponsored by:	Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group
Information provided:	National Cancer Institute (NCI)
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00101283
Condition	Malignant Mesothelioma
Intervention	Drug: carboplatin Drug: gemcitabine hydrochloride Drug: pemetrexed disodium Procedure: chemotherapy
Phase	Phase 2

Purpose:

This randomized phase II trial is studying pemetrexed disodium and gemcitabine to see how well they work compared to pemetrexed disodium and carboplatin in treating patients with advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma.

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as pemetrexed disodium, gemcitabine, and carboplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) may kill more tumor cells. It is not yet known whether giving pemetrexed disodium with gemcitabine is more effective than giving pemetrexed disodium with carboplatin in treating malignant pleural mesothelioma.

Eligibility

Study Design: Treatment, Randomized, Active Control

Official Title: Pemetrexed Plus Gemcitabine Or Carboplatin In Patients With Advanced Malignant Mesothelioma: A Randomized Phase II Trial

Enrollment Size: Both

Gender: 18 Years

Min. Age: N/A

Max. Age:

Location and Contact Information

The following is a list of clinial trials centers by state currently in process in the search for the treament and cure of mesothelioma. If you are a mesothelioma patient, please contact your doctor for more information about these trials.

United States, Connecticut
Eastern Connecticut Hematology and Oncology Associates, Norwich, Connecticut, 06360, United States

United States, Delaware
CCOP – Christiana Care Health Services, Newark, Delaware, 19713, United States

United States, Delaware
Tunnell Cancer Center at Beebe Medical Center, Lewes, Delaware, 19958, United States

United States, Florida
Mayo Clinic – Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida, 32224, United States

United States, Georgia
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Altanta, Georgia, 30322, United States

United States, Illinois
BroMenn Regional Medical Center, Normal, Illinois, 61761, United State

United States, Illinois
Cancer Treatment Center at Pekin Hospital, Pekin, Illinois, 61554, United States

United States, Illinois
Carle Cancer Center at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, United States

United States, Illinois
CCOP – Carle Cancer Center, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, United States

United States, Illinois
CCOP – Illinois Oncology Research Association, Peoria, Illinois, 61615, United States

United States, Illinois
Community Cancer Center, Normal, Illinois, 61761, United States

United States, Illinois
Community Hospital of Ottawa, Ottawa, Illinois, 61350, United States

United States, Illinois
Decatur Memorial Hospital Cancer Care Institute, Decatur, Illinois, 62526, United States

United States, Illinois
Eureka Community Hospital, Eureka, Illinois, 61530, United States

United States, Illinois
Galesburg Clinic, PC, Galesburg, Illinois, 61401, United States

United States, Illinois
Galesburg Cottage Hospital, Galesburg, Illinois, 61401, United States

United States, Illinois
Graham Hospital, Canton, Illinois, 61520, United States

United States, Illinois
Hopedale Medical Complex, Hopedale, Illinois, 61747, United States

United States, Illinois
Illinois Valley Community Hospital, Peru, Illinois, 61354, United States

United States, Illinois
Joliet Oncology-Hematology Associates, Limited – West, Joliet, Illinois, 60435, United States

United States, Illinois
Kewanee Hospital, Kewanee, Illinois, 61443, United States

United States, Illinois
Mason District Hospital, Havana, Illinois, 62644, United States

United States, Illinois
McDonough District Hospital, Macomb, Illinois, 61455, United States

United States, Illinois
Memorial Hospital, Carthage, Illinois, 62321, United States

United States, Illinois
Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, Peoria, Illinois, 61636, United States

United States, Illinois
Oncology Hematology Associates of Central Illinois, PC – Ottawa, Ottawa, Illinois, 61350, United States

United States, Illinois
Oncology Hematology Associates of Central Illinois, PC – Peoria, Peoria, Illinois, 61615, United States

United States, Illinois
OSF St. Francis Medical Center, Peoria, Illinois, 61637, United States

United States, Illinois
Perry Memorial Hospital, Princeton, Illinois, 61356, United States

United States, Illinois
Proctor Hospital, Peoria, Illinois, 61614, United States

United States, Illinois
Regional Cancer Center at Memorial Medical Center, Springfield, Illinois, 62781-0001, United States

United States, Illinois
Rush-Copley Cancer Care Center, Aurora, Illinois, 60504, United States

United States, Illinois
St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington, Illinois, 61701, United States

United States, Illinois
St. Margaret’s Hospital, Spring Valley, Illinois, 61362, United States

United States, Illinois
Trinity Cancer Center at Trinity Medical Center – 7th Street Campus, Moline, Illinois, 61265, United States

United States, Indiana
CCOP – Northern Indiana CR Consortium, South Bend, Indiana, 46601, United States

United States, Indiana
Center for Cancer Therapy at LaPorte Hospital and Health Services, La Porte, Indiana, 46350, United States

United States, Indiana
Elkhart General Hospital, Elkhart, Indiana, 46515, United States

United States, Indiana
Howard Community Hospital, Kokomo, Indiana, 46904, United States

United States, Indiana
Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202-5289, United States

United States, Indiana
Memorial Hospital of South Bend, South Bend, Indiana, 46601, United States

United States, Indiana
Saint Anthony Memorial Health Centers, Michigan City, Indiana, 46360, United States

United States, Indiana
Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, South Bend, Indiana, 46617, United States

United States, Indiana
Veterans Affairs Medical Center – Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States

United States, Indiana
William N. Wishard Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States

United States, Iowa

Cedar Rapids Oncology Associates, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52403, United States

United States, Iowa
McFarland Clinic, PC, Ames, Iowa, 50010, United States

United States, Iowa
Mercy Medical Center – Sioux City, Sioux City, Iowa, 51104, United States

United States, Iowa
Siouxland Hematology-Oncology Associates, LLP, Sioux City, Iowa, 51101, United States

United States, Iowa
St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center, Sioux City, Iowa, 51104, United States

United States, Maryland
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland, 21231-2410, United States

United States, Maryland
Union Hospital Cancer Program at Union Hospital, Elkton MD, Maryland, 21921, United States

United States, Michigan
Borgess Medical Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 49001, United States

United States, Michigan
Bronson Methodist Hospital, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 49007, United States

United States, Michigan
CCOP – Michigan Cancer Research Consortium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48106, United States

United States, Michigan
Foote Memorial Hospital, Jackson, Michigan, 49201, United States

United States, Michigan
Genesys Hurley Cancer Institute, Flint, Michigan, 48503, United States

United States, Michigan
Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Michigan, 48503, United States

United States, Michigan
Lakeland Regional Cancer Care Center – St. Joseph, St. Joseph, Michigan, 49085, United States

United States, Michigan
Oakwood Cancer Center at Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center, Dearborn, Michigan, 48123-2500, United States

United States, Michigan
Saint Joseph Mercy Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48106-0995, United States

United States, Michigan
Seton Cancer Institute at Saint Mary’s – Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan, 48601, United States

United States, Michigan
Sparrow Regional Cancer Center, Lansing, Michigan, 48912-1811, United States

United States, Michigan
St. John Macomb Hospital, Warren, Michigan, 48093, United States

United States, Michigan
Van Elslander Cancer Center at St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, 48236, United States

United States, Michigan
West Michigan Cancer Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 49007-3731, United States

United States, Minnesota
CCOP – Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, 55805, United States

United States, Minnesota
CCOP – Metro-Minnesota, Saint Louis Park, Minnesota, 55416, United States

United States, Minnesota
Duluth Clinic Cancer Center – Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota, 55805-1983, United States

United States, Minnesota
Fairview Ridges Hospital, Burnsville, Minnesota, 55337, United States

United States, Minnesota
Fairview Southdale Hospital, Edina, Minnesota, 55435, United States

United States, Minnesota
HealthEast Cancer Care at St. John’s Hospital, Maplewood, Minnesota, 55109, United States

United States, Minnesota
HealthEast Cancer Care at St. Joseph’s Hospital, St Paul, Minnesota, 55102, United States

United States, Minnesota
HealthEast Cancer Care at Woodwinds Health Campus, Woodbury, Minnesota, 55125, United States

United States, Minnesota
Hennepin County Medical Center – Minneapolis, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55415, United States

United States, Minnesota
Hubert H. Humphrey Cancer Center at North Memorial Outpatient Center, Robbinsdale, Minnesota, 55422-2900, United States

United States, Minnesota
Hutchinson Area Health Care, Hutchinson, Minnesota, 55350, United States

United States, Minnesota
Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States

United States, Minnesota
Meeker County Memorial Hospital, Lichfield, Minnesota, 55355, United States

United States, Minnesota
Mercy and Unity Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital, Coon Rapids, Minnesota, 55433, United States

United States, Minnesota
Mercy and Unity Cancer Center at Unity Hospital, Fridley, Minnesota, 55432, United States

United States, Minnesota
Miller – Dwan Medical Center, Duluth, Minnesota, 55805, United States

United States, Minnesota
Minnesota Oncology Hematology, PA – Maplewood, Maplewood, Minnesota, 55109, United States

United States, Minnesota
Minnesota Oncology Hematology, PA – Woodbury, Woodbury, Minnesota, 55125, United States

United States, Minnesota
Park Nicollet Cancer Center, St. Louis Park, Minnesota, 55416, United States

United States, Minnesota
Regions Hospital Cancer Care Center, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55101, United States

United States, Minnesota
Ridgeview Medical Center, Waconia, Minnesota, 55387, United States

United States, Minnesota
St. Francis Cancer Center at St. Francis Medical Center, Shakopee, Minnesota, 55379, United States

United States, Minnesota
United Hospital, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55102, United States

United States, Minnesota
Virginia Piper Cancer Institute at Abbott – Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55407, United States

United States, New Jersey
Cancer Institute of New Jersey at Cooper – Voorhees, Voorhees, New Jersey, 08043, United States

United States, New Jersey
Cancer Institute of New Jersey at UMDNJ – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08903, United States

United States, New Jersey
CCOP – Northern New Jersey, Hackensack, New Jersey, 07601, United States

United States, New Jersey
Fox Chase Virtua Health Cancer Program at Virtua West Jersey, Voorhees, New Jersey, 08043, United States

United States, New Jersey
Fox Chase Virtua Health Cancer Program at Virtua Memorial Hospital Marlton, Marlton, New Jersey, 08053, United States

United States, New Jersey
Veterans Affairs Medical Center – East Orange, East Orange, New Jersey, 07018-1095, United States

United States, North Dakota
Bismarck Cancer Center, Bismarck, North Dakota, 58501, United States

United States, North Dakota
Medcenter One Hospital Cancer Care Center, Bismarck, North Dakota, 58501, United States

United States, North Dakota
Mid Dakota Clinic, PC, Bismarck, North Dakota, 58501, United States

United States, North Dakota
St. Alexius Medical Center Cancer Center, Bismarck, North Dakota, 58502, United States

United States, Ohio
Aultman Cancer Center at Aultman Hospital, Canton, Ohio, 44710-1799, United States

United States, Ohio
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106-5065, United States

United States, Ohio
St. Rita’s Medical Center, Lima, Ohio, 45801, United States

United States, Ohio
Summa Center for Cancer Care at Akron City Hospital, Akron, Ohio, 44309-2090, United States

United States, Pennsylvania
Albert Einstein Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19141, United States

United States, Pennsylvania
Fox Chase Cancer Center – Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19111-2497, United States

United States, Pennsylvania
Lewistown Hospital, Lewistown, Pennsylvania, 17044, United States

United States, Pennsylvania
Morgan Cancer Center at Lehigh Valley Hospital – Cedar Crest, Allentown, Pennsylvania, 18105, United States

United States, Pennsylvania
Mount Nittany Medical Center, State College, Pennsylvania, 16803, United States

United States, Pennsylvania
Penn State Cancer Institute at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania, 17033-0850, United States

United States, South Dakota
Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57105, United States

United States, South Dakota
Medical X-Ray Center, PC, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57105, United States

United States, South Dakota
Sanford Cancer Center at Sanford USD Medical Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57117-5039, United States

United States, Wisconsin
Gundersen Lutheran Cancer Center at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 54601, United States

United States, Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, Madison, Wisconsin, 53792-6164, United States

The story of asbestos and the diseases it causes are an American tragedy. The lives and health of thousands of American families are negatively affected by prior exposure to asbestos. Unfortunately exposure still occurs today. All too often, individuals, companies and even municipalities have been caught trying to hide the removal of asbestos from the public.

Our goal is to inform you as to how exposure to asbestos occurs. We will also provide examples of work environments that lead to exposure; work trades and activities that put Americans at certain risk of exposure to asbestos contamination. For over thirty years the courts have been making very large compensation awards to individuals and their families exposed directly or indirectly to asbestos.

Who is At Risk of an Asbestos-related Disease?

Everyone is exposed to asbestos at some time during their life. Low levels of asbestos are present in the air, water and soil. However, most people do not become ill from their exposure. People who become ill from asbestos are usually those who are exposed to it on a regular basis, most often in a job where they work directly with the material or through substantial environmental contact.

Since the early 1940’s, millions of American workers have been exposed to asbestos. Health hazards from asbestos fibers have been recognized in workers exposed in shipbuilding trades, asbestos mining and milling, manufacturing of asbestos textiles and other asbestos products, insulation work in the construction and building trades and a variety of other trades. Demolition workers, drywall removers, asbestos removal workers, firefighters and automobile workers may also be exposed to asbestos fibers. However, recent studies do not support an increased risk of lung cancer or mesothelioma among automobile mechanics exposed to asbestos through brake repair. Due to Government regulations and improved work practices, today’s workers (those without previous exposure) are likely to face smaller risks than did those exposed in the past.

Those involved in the rescue, recovery and cleanup at the site of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center (”WTC”) in New York City are another group at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease. Because asbestos was used in the construction of the North Tower of the WTC, when the building was attacked, hundreds of tons of asbestos were released into the atmosphere. Those at greatest risk include firefighters, police officers, paramedics, construction workers and volunteers who worked in the rubble at Ground Zero. Others at risk include residents in close proximity to the WTC towers and those who attended schools nearby. These populations will need to be followed to determine the long-term health consequences of their exposure.

One study found that nearly 70 percent of WTC rescue and recovery workers suffered new or worsened respiratory symptoms while performing work at the WTC site. The study describes the results of the WTC Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program, which was established to identify and characterize possible WTC-related health effects in responders. The study found that about 28 percent of those tested had abnormal lung function tests, and 61 percent of those without previous health problems developed respiratory symptoms. It is important to note that these symptoms may be related to exposure to debris components other than asbestos.

Although it is clear that health risks from asbestos exposure increase with heavier exposure and longer exposure time, investigators have found asbestos-related diseases in individuals with only brief exposures. Generally, those who develop asbestos-related diseases show no signs of illness for a long time after their first exposure. It can take from 10 to 40 years or more for symptoms of an asbestos-related condition to appear.

There is some evidence that family members of workers heavily exposed to asbestos face an increased risk of developing mesothelioma. This risk is thought to result from exposure to asbestos fibers brought into the home on the shoes, clothing, skin and hair of workers. To decrease these exposures, Federal law regulates work practices to limit the possibility of asbestos being brought home in this way. Some employees may be required to shower and change their clothes before they leave work, store their street clothes in a separate area of the workplace or wash their work clothes at home separately from other clothes.

Cases of mesothelioma have occurred in persons without occupational exposure. They live close to asbestos mines or have exposure to fibers carried home by family members working with asbestos.

Several factors can help to determine how asbestos exposure affects an individual, including:

• Dose (how much asbestos an individual was exposed to).
• Duration (how long an individual was exposed).
• Size, shape and chemical makeup of asbestos fibers.
• Source of exposure.
• Individual risk factors, such as smoking and pre-existing lung disease.

Although all forms of asbestos are considered hazardous, different types of asbestos fibers may be associated with different health risks. Results of several studies suggest that amphibole forms of asbestos may be more harmful than chrysotile for mesothelioma risk, because they tend to stay in the lungs for a longer period of time. All common commercial types of asbestos have been associated with lung cancer.

Sponsored by:	National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Information provided:	National Cancer Institute (NCI)
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:	NCT00575770
Condition	Malignant Mesothelioma
Intervention	Drug: SS1(dsFv)-PE38 immunotoxin Drug: cisplatin Drug: pemetrexed disodium Procedure: chemotherapy Procedure: immunoenzyme technique Procedure: immunohistochemistry staining method Procedure: immunotoxin therapy Procedure: pharmacological study Procedure: quality-of-life assessment
Phase	Phase 1

Purpose:

This phase I trial is studying the side effects and best dose of immunotoxin therapy when given together with pemetrexed and cisplatin in treating patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma that cannot be removed by surgery.

RATIONALE: Immunotoxins can find tumor cells and kill them without harming normal cells. Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as pemetrexed and cisplatin, work in different ways to stop the growth of tumor cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Giving more than one drug (combination chemotherapy) together with immunotoxin therapy may kill more malignant mesothelioma cells.

Eligibility

Study Design: Treatment, Non-Randomized, Open Label, Active Control

Official Title: A Phase I, Single Center, Dose-Escalation Study of SS1(dsFv)PE38 Administered Concurrently With Pemetrexed and Cisplatin in Subjects With Unresectable Malignant Epithelial Pleural Mesothelioma

Enrollment Size: Both

Gender: 18 Years

Min. Age: N/A

Max. Age:

Location and Contact Information

United States, Maryland
Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center – NCI Clinical Trials Referral Office, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-1182, United States
Status: Recruiting
Clinical Trials Office – Warren Grant Magnusen Clinical Center 888-NCI-1937

• Pemetrexed Disodium and Either Gemcitabine or Carboplatin in Treating Patients With Advanced Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma.
• Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma in Prior Asbestos Workers.
• Dasatinib in Treating Patients With Previously Treated Malignant Mesothelioma.

Actively Recruiting:

The following is a list of clinial trials currently in process in the search for the treament and cure of mesotheilioma. If you are a mesotheilioma patient, please contact your doctor for more information about these trials.

Trial: Cisplatin, Imatinib Mesylate, and Pemetrexed in Malignant Mesothelioma Patients

Conditions: Mesothelioma

Trial: Immunotoxin Therapy, Pemetrexed, and Cisplatin in Treating Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery

Conditions: Malignant Mesothelioma

Trial: Early Diagnosis of Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma in Prior Asbestos Workers

Conditions: Lung Cancer; Mesothelioma

Trial: Dasatinib in Treating Patients With Previously Treated Malignant Mesothelioma

Conditions: Malignant Mesothelioma

Trial: Pazopanib in Treating Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Conditions: Malignant Mesothelioma

Trial: Tomotherapy Treatment for Mesothelioma

Conditions: Mesothelioma

Trial: Bortezomib in Treating Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Conditions: Malignant Mesothelioma

Trial: AZD2171 in Treating Patients With Malignant Mesothelioma That Cannot Be Removed By Surgery

Conditions: Malignant Mesothelioma

Trial: Bortezomib and Cisplatin as First-Line Therapy in Treating Patients With Malignant Mesothelioma

Conditions: Malignant Mesothelioma

Trial: Pharmacokinetic, Safety, and Efficacy Effects of Oral LBH589 on Dextromethorphan in Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer or Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Conditions: Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung; Mesothelioma

Trial: Pemetrexed Disodium and Cisplatin Followed by Surgery With or Without Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Conditions: Malignant Mesothelioma

Trial: Antineoplaston Therapy in Treating Patients With Advanced Mesothelioma

Conditions: Malignant Mesothelioma

Trial: Study of Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Esophageal Cancer, or Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Conditions: Esophageal Cancer; Lung Cancer; Malignant Mesothelioma

Trial: Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Surgery and Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Mesothelioma That Can Be Removed By Surgery

Conditions: Malignant Mesothelioma

Trial: Pemetrexed, Cisplatin, and Vitamin B12 in Treating Patients With Mesothelioma of the Chest That Cannot Be Removed by Surgery

Conditions: Malignant Mesothelioma

Trial: Cisplatin, Pemetrexed and Bevacizumab for Untreated Malignant Mesothelioma

Conditions: Mesothelioma

Trial: An Efficacy and Safety Study With Vandetanib to Treat Inoperable or Relapsed Malignant Mesothelioma

Conditions: Mesothelioma

Trial: Vorinostat (MK0683, SAHA) Versus Placebo in Advanced Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Conditions: Mesothelioma; Lung Cancer

Trial: Study of NGR-hTNF as Single Agent in Patients Affected by Advanced or Metastatic Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Conditions: Mesothelioma

Laparoscope (laparoscopy)
A laparoscope is a lighted tube that is inserted into the abdomen to examine the abdominal wall. The procedure is called a laparoscopy. (See also peritoneoscope/peritoneoscopy)

Laparoscopy
A procedure involving the insertion of a thin, lighted tube (called a laparoscope) through the abdominal wall to inspect the inside of the abdomen.

Local anesthetic
A drug or anesthetic that causes a temporary loss of pain or feeling in a part of the body. When a local anesthetic is used during a medical procedure, the patient usually remains awake.

Localized mesothelioma
Mesothelioma that has not spread to other organs of the body.

Lung
One of a pair of organs in the chest that supplies the body with oxygen and removes carbon dioxide from the body.

Lymph nodes
Small oval bodies contained throughout the body that contain lymph. Lymph nodes act as a first line of defense against infections and cancer.

Malignant
Cancerous cells that are capable of spreading to other parts of the body.

Malignant mesothelioma
A type of cancer in tissue surrounding the lining of the lungs, abdomen or heart. Asbestos exposure is considered the primary cause of malignant mesothelioma.

Mediastinoscopy (MEE-dee-a-stin-AHS-ko-pee)
A mediastinoscopy is a procedure in which a lighted tube is inserted into the chest to view the organs in the area between the lungs and nearby lymph nodes. The tube is inserted through an incision above the breastbone. This procedure is often performed to obtain a tissue sample from the lymph nodes on the right side of the chest.

Mediastinum
The mediastinum is the partition between the lungs, formed by the adjoining walls of the pleura, and between the lungs and the lymph nodes.

Mesothelial cells (mesothelium tissue)
The general name for the specialized cells that comprise the membrane that lines the lungs, abdomen, heart and other organs in the body. The layer of cells is called mesothelium tissue.

Mesothelioma
A benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous) tumor affecting the lining of the lungs (pleura), abdomen (peritoneum) or heart (pericardium). Asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma.

Metastasis (meh-TAS-ta-sis)
Metastasis is the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another. A tumor formed by cells that have spread is called a “metastatic tumor” or a “metastasis.” The metastatic tumor contains cells that are like those in the original (primary) tumor. The plural form of metastasis is metastases (meh-TAS-ta-seez).

Metastatic (MET-uh-STAT-ik)
Having to do with metastisis, which is the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another.

Metastatic tumor
A malignant tumor that has spread from the place in which it started to other parts of the body.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
A sophisticated test that provides in-depth images of organs and structures in the body.

Oncologist (on-KOL-o-jist)
An oncologist is a doctor who specializes in treating cancer. Some oncologists specialize in a particular type of cancer treatment. For example, a radiation oncologist specializes in treating cancer with radiation.

Oncology
The study of cancer. An oncologist is a physician who specializes in cancer treatment.

Palliative radiation
Radiation treatment aimed at relieving pain and symptoms of disease, but not intended to cure the disease.

Paracentesis
The process of removing fluid from the abdomen.

Pathologist
A doctor who identifies diseases by studying cells and tissues under a microscope.

Pathology
The study of the essential nature of diseases and especially of the structural and functional changes produced by them. To diagnose a particular form of cancer, a pathologist examines a piece of the cancerous tissue under a microscope to determine the size and type of cancer cell.

Pericardial mesothelioma
Cancer of the sac that surrounds the heart.

Pericardiocentesis
The process of removing fluid from the sac around the heart.

Pericardium
The lining that surrounds the heart.

Peritoneal mesothelioma
Cancer of the lining that surrounds the abdominal cavity.

Peritoneoscope
A peritoneoscope is a lighted tube that is inserted into the abdomen to examine the abdominal wall. The procedure is called a peritoneoscopy. (See also laparoscope/laparoscopy)

Peritoneoscopy
Procedure to examine and treat abdominal and pelvic organs, using a small surgical viewing instrument (laparoscope) inserted into the abdomen.

Peritoneum
The lining that surrounds the abdominal cavity.

PET (Positonic Emission Topography) scan
A procedure in which a small amount of radioactive glucose (sugar) is injected into a vein, and a scanner is used to make detailed, computerized pictures of areas inside the body where the glucose is used. Because cancer cells often use more glucose than normal cells, the pictures can be used to find cancer cells in the body.

Pleura
The lining that surrounds the lungs and prevents the lungs from rubbing against the ribs.

Pleural cavity
The space between the lungs and the chest wall. The cavity is lined by the pleura.

Pleural effusion
The collection of fluid in the space between the pleura (the lining of the lungs) and the general space inside the chest, also known as the chest cavity.

Pleural mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma is a cancer of the lining that surrounds the lung.

Pleurectomy (decortation)
A surgical procedure to remove the pleura, where the cancerous mesothelioma tumor has lodged, along the inner chest wall. It is used to control effusions and ease pain.

Pleurodesis
A procedure used to treat fluid build-up (effusion) within the pleural space or cavity. A medical procedure using chemicals or drugs to cause inflammation and adhesion between the layers of the pleura (the tissue that covers the lungs and lines the interior wall of the chest cavity). This prevents the build-up of fluid in the pleural cavity. It is used as a treatment for severe pleural effusion.

Pneumonectomy
The surgical removal of a lung.

Prognosis
The projected outcome of a disease; the life expectancy.

Protocol
A treatment plan.

Radiation therapy
Intensive x-ray treatment that damages or kills cancer cells.

Radioisotope
An unstable element that releases radiation as it breaks down. Radioisotopes can be used in imaging tests or as a treatment for cancer.

Recurrence
The reappearance of a disease after a period of remission.

Regression
The shrinkage of cancer growth.

Remission
The complete or partial disappearance of the signs and symptoms of disease.

Risk factor
Anything that increases a person’s chances of developing cancer, for example, asbestos exposure and mesothelioma.