New cancer research may prove helpful in the fight against mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused almost solely by toxic asbestos fibers. These fibers, once inhaled, can start a mutation process in cells of lung and abdominal cavity lining. Mesothelioma can take decades to demonstrate symptoms making it hard to detect. Once it has been diagnosed, typical prognoses include an average life expectancy of eighteen months.
Although many mesothelioma patients are choosing palliative care, which focuses on pain management and bettering quality of life, there are many aggressive mesothelioma treatments available. A combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and rehabilitative therapies are typically administered in a mesothelioma case. However, mesothelioma has proved somewhat chemotherapy resistant and continues to be considered incurable.
As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, grants have been distributed to further cancer research. Agios Pharmaceuticals, a recipient of such a grant through the Qualifying Therapeutic Discovery Project Program (QTDP), has been studying cancer metabolism. Following an exciting discovery of a connection between slowed growth in lung cancer cells and the diabetic drug metformin, cancer metabolism testing is proving positive.
With $488,000 in funding from QTDP, Agios Pharmaceuticals is one of the leading groups in metabolism research. Chief executive David Schenkein said, “Nutrient supply and deprivation is becoming potentially the next big wave.”
Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is another company to receive funding through QTDP for cancer treatment research. Cornerstone Pharmaceuticals said, “Just as the body needs nutrients to survive, cancer cells depend on certain nutrients to make energy and to proliferate.”
Until now, typical cancer treatment has focused on removal of the malignancy and attack on remaining cancerous cells. This approach often leaves surrounding healthy tissues vulnerable to the same attack, allowing patients’ quality of life to suffer as well
Cancer metabolism research is taking a new approach. Like other living organisms, cancer needs an energy source to continue growing. Glucose is a primary food, or energy source, for cancer. Researchers are testing the potential of cutting of a cancer’s glucose supply in hopes this will render the cancer unable to continue growing and spreading.
New cancer research is welcome as mesothelioma cases in America and worldwide are thought to be rising. Three thousand Americans suffer with mesothelioma each year, while the numbers worldwide are believed to be as much as ten times higher. The World Health Organization estimated ninety thousand mesothelioma cases as we head into what may be the peak of this fatal disease.
This entry was posted on Thursday, December 16th, 2010 at 8:48 AM and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
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