Interesting study out of the UK. Four women with pleural effusions were determined to have malignancies. The authors conclude:
“The diagnosis of malignant pleural mesotheliomas should be actively
considered in all patients presenting with effusion relating to
previous malignancies regardless of asbestos history.”
There is a report in the Journal of Biology stating that more than 80% of cancer patients develop memory and concentration problems. This study was done at the University of Rochester and looked at the effects of three common chemotherapy agents. “Chemobrain”, the loss of cognitive abilities, has long been a complaint of patients, although sometimes dismissed by doctors. The BBC quotes a leading medical expert as saying “no patient should stop their treatment because of this research.” Learning the causes of side effects of chemotherapy on the brain may help efforts to mitigate those effects.
Scientific American has an interesting article about the study of dogs. And not just dogs as laboratory animals, but epidemiological studies of pet dogs.
It makes sense. Pet dogs can live to be quite old (for dogs) and many develop cancer. Bone cancer is particularly common in dogs. Further, dogs have been living with humans and have been exposed to more or less the same environment. Laboratory studies, which are frequently done on rodents, are controlled situations where the animal is fed or injected with suspect carcinogens or treatments. These can yield some good results, but this epidemiological and other information from animals that actually live with humans on a closer scale to humans can also be beneficial to researchers. They can also do experiments on pet dogs to see what treatments are effective in them before trying the treatments on humans.
Interesting study out of Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Positron Emission Tomography is a great tool for looking inside the body and hence has been valuable in diagnosis. Here the doctors are using what they learn to evaluate the prognosis of the patient and to determine the best course for continued treatment, including who is a candidate for clinical trials. More on PET for mesothelioma.
New study out of Japan. Patients were given Alimta supplemented with folate and vitamin B12. It was a small number of patients, but the results were good. “Tolerable” toxicity and the Alimta seemed to have an effect on the tumors.
News out of Britain today. The Treasury plans to introduce legislation to create a central fund for mesothelioma victims. Moneys would come from responsible corporations. Earlier this year, the Parliament passed the Compensation Act which permits mesothelioma victims to recover compensation. But under the current system victims have had to endure sometimes protracted negotiations while former employers wrangled over the responsibility for paying compensation. This new plan could help a lot of families.
Princeton is building a new building for their chemistry department. The money for the construction is coming largely from Alimta, the cancer drug. Princeton holds the patent on pemetrexed, which was developed there by Edward Taylor.
The Food and Drug Administration just approved zolinza for treatment of a rare form of skin cancer called cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). In addition to CTCL, Zolinza is being investigated in other indications including myeloma, mesothelioma and a variety of other cancers that have entered phase I and II clinical trials since June 2005. It’s always good to hear about new cancer medications that scientists are working on.
In Scotland “victims of mesothelioma currently have to choose between claiming for damages or allowing their relatives to lodge a bigger claim after their death,” according to the BBC. New legislation could make things easier. It’s interesting: in the United States awards are typically bigger if the patient is still alive. More on mesothelioma compensation.
