Mesothelioma is traditionally very hard to treat. For years research has been done to try to determine new and innovative combinations of treatments that are most effective, depending on the type of mesothelioma. There is a new clinical trial for mesothelioma using a novel chemotherapy that has had promising results.
Misdiagnosing Mesothelioma
Correctly diagnosing mesothelioma has been a constant issue. The symptoms of mesothelioma mock those of other more common diseases, such as a cold or asthma, and often the cancer is misdiagnosed. Also, due to the rarity of the disease, many doctors may not be thinking that the patient has mesothelioma and may believe it is something else entirely. Another issue is properly staging the mesothelioma. In many instances treatment options are determined by the stage of the cancer. There are four stages of mesothelioma. Usually, once a patient reaches stage four, surgery is no longer an option and other treatment methods such as chemotherapy must be used.
Early Detection is Important
If the cancer is detected early enough, this new clinical trial for mesothelioma could help to prolong life expectancy and enhance overall quality of life for patients.
The number of mesothelioma cases is not decreasing every year. This is because of the long latency period between asbestos exposure and the development of an asbestos-related disease. Symptoms can take up to 50 or more years to develop, so people continue to be diagnosed with mesothelioma each year. There are about 3,000 new mesothelioma cases each year in the United States. Those who are most affected are the people who worked around the carcinogen, such as construction workers and Navy veterans.
About 27 million people experienced asbestos exposure between the 1940s and the 1970s. These people are at risk of developing an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma. In 2019, it was estimated that about 40,764 Americans died from asbestos-related diseases. This highlights the importance of innovative research.
New Clinical Trial for Mesothelioma – Results
This new clinical trial for mesothelioma tested pegargiminase-chemotherapy in patients with non-epithelioid pleural mesothelioma. Testing was done at 43 different centers in five countries, consisting of 429 patients. The trial took place from August 2017 to August 2021. The results showed that the median survival of the patients that were enrolled went from 1.6 months to 36 months.
Mesothelioma treatment can be extremely costly as treatment can be very extensive. Seeking compensation for your diagnosis can help pay for medical expenses. Our team has a vast knowledge of the ins and outs of asbestos litigation and, if you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, we want to help you get your rightful compensation. We also have information on our website about different places to treat mesothelioma in and around Pennsylvania. We offer information about mesothelioma as well as legal help and we are there to support you. For more information or for a free case evaluation, call us at (800) 505-6000 or fill out our contact form.
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