Nanoparticles Show Promise in Combination Chemotherapy Treatment

A number of studies have shown that combination chemotherapy (using two or more cancer drugs simultaneously) can help improve treatment of some cancer types. Regulation of combination dosages has been difficult, however, due to the lack of accuracy associated with drug dissemination.

Specifically, past studies have shown that combination therapies have difficulty targeting cancer cells to deliver effective results. Now, researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) report advances in nanoparticles technology that may improve precision of dosage delivery.

In the past, nanoparticles have been used to alter cancer drugs in a way that helps them seek out and bond specifically to cancerous tumor cells. Through such engineering, the BWH team has found a way to dramatically improve the delivery of cisplatin and docetaxel in concert. Due to the physiological differences of these two drugs, combination treatments had previously proven difficult to regulate.

However, in tests performed on prostate cancer cells, the BWH team reports the delivery of precise doses for both medications. The results show promise in improving the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy on a broad scale. Since precision also allows for effective results at lower dosages, side effects felt from chemotherapy may also be reduced.

Previous nanoparticles technologies only allowed for combination treatment that involved medications that were chemically similar. This new way, however, opens the door for a wide variety of new targeted combination options.

The BWH team specifically chose cisplatin and docetaxel because they are commonly used to treat a variety of cancers. As a result, there is potential for the combination treatment to show benefits beyond the scope of prostate cancer.

Source:
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2010/nanoparticle-chemotherapy-1005.html
http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=40281

This entry was posted on Monday, December 13th, 2010 at 11:17 am and is filed under cancer treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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Life Expectancy after Mesothelioma Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy so far, is the only treatment to improve the survival rate expectancy for mesothelioma patients. This therapy has shown significant improvement from a life expectancy of 10 months to a little over 13 months. Chemotherapy along with other aggressive treatments and surgeries is showing remarkable results.

Diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma can be detected with a chest X-ray and CT scan, and can be confirmed with a biopsy and microscopic exam. Patients can undergo various aggressive treatments to extend their life-span and comfort. Despite extensive research, experiments and treatments, the disease is not curable and the life expectancy after mesothelioma chemotherapy for patients is very poor.

Symptoms of mesothelioma include:

Fluid between the lung and chest wallPain in the chest areaWeight lossAnemiaWheezing and shortness of breathConstant fatiguePain in the abdomen

Mesothelioma is usually not detected until the latest stages because patients do not show immediate signs of mesothelioma. Also, the symptoms of mesothelioma are very common and often get misdiagnosed for less severe conditions. As a result, mesothelioma treatment is delayed resulting in a poor prognosis for patients. Once the cancer has spread and reached stage three or four, treatment options decreases and the disease becomes more difficult to treat. Treatments including surgery is no longer an option and may not be effective during this critical stage increasing mortality rate among mesothelioma patients.

Mesothelioma is addressed in four stages. Stages three and four limits the options available for treatment and treatments is also less effective at this point. In addition to the different stages of mesothelioma, other factors that may affect the prognosis include:

Age of patientWhen the cancer was detectedTreatment receivedType of mesotheliomaThe location and size of the tumorOther health-related illnessesWhether or not the patient is a smokerPatient’s diet

Chemotherapy is improving the life expectancy of mesothelioma sufferers. This is wonderful news for mesothelioma patients and their families.

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Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy in Mesothelioma Treatment

Chemotherapy and radiotherapy for pleural mesothelioma treatment should be considered if the cancer is in late stage, where surgical intervention is likely to be of any use due to spread (metastasis) of pleural mesothelioma to other parts of the body such as abdomen and other body parts.

Chemotherapy for treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma:

This is the most common form of treatment in pleural mesothelioma, as most of the patients with pleural mesothelioma are treated with chemotherapy, even if surgery and/or radiotherapy is used for management of pleural mesothelioma. Chemotherapy must be used in late stages of the disease, when surgery will have little or no effect in treatment of pleural mesothelioma due to spread of the disease in distant parts of the body. There are several chemotherapeutic agents which are useful in treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, but at present USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) approve only use of Cisplatin along with Alimta for treatment of pleural mesothelioma. Other chemotherapeutic agents are not approved by USFDA for treatment of pleural mesothelioma. There are several chemotherapeutic agents undergoing clinical trial to determine effectiveness of these chemotherapeutic agents, such as Gemcitabine, Navelbine in treatment of pleural mesothelioma.

Radiotherapy for treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma:

Radiotherapy or radiation therapy is also commonly used modality in treatment of pleural mesothelioma, especially in the late stages, as is used in treatment of other forms of cancer. Generally radiotherapy is used in combination with surgery or chemotherapy or with both for best results in pleural mesothelioma. External beam radiation is used to cause mutation of tumor cells within the body and slow their growth and spread.

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