Mesothelioma Law Network

Temsirolimus, a drug commonly used to slow tumor growth in kidney cancer patients, may also slow the growth of malignant pleural mesothelioma cells, according to a study published in the May 2011 issue of theJournal of Thoracic Oncology.

Lead researchers who prepared the study, say the drug blocked so-called mTOR-mediated signals and had a growth-stopping effect on mesothelioma cells. The one exception, according to the research team, were mesothelioma cells that are resistant to Cisplatin, a widely used chemotherapy drug, which showed a keen hypersensitivity against Temsirolimus.

The researchers said that use of Temsirolimus, in combination with chemotherapy, or as a second-line therapy if chemotherapy fails, might be a promising treatment for mesothelioma.

Last week, the Supreme Court in New Jersey denied ExxonMobil’s request for an appeal after the oil giant lost a lawsuit that awarded Bonnie Anderson $7 million. Ms. Anderson, 62, who suffers from mesothelioma, was exposed to asbestos while handling her husband’s contaminated work clothes.

Her husband John, whose job involved removing insulation from pumps and filters, which for decades were manufactured with asbestos, worked at Exxon’s Linden Bayway Refinery in Linden, New Jersey.

Ms. Anderson described the court’s ruling as “Bittersweet.” “I’m starting chemotherapy again,” she said. “But the disease is incurable. Chemotherapy only helps buy me a little more time.”

ExxonMobil argued that there is no way to know how Anderson contracted asbestos cancer. The company hired an expert in internal and pulmonary medicine to testify on their behalf, but this didn’t appear to sway the court in their favor.

Findings from a recent study to determine the effectiveness of a new diagnostic test used to detect asbestos-related cancer in the early stages, was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research 102nd Annual Meeting 2011 on April 4th.

The purpose of the new test, developed by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center, is to identify malignant pleural mesothelioma in patients early enough to effectively treat it. (Malignant pleural mesothelioma causes an estimated 15,000 – 20,000 death per year).

Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute’s Early Detection Research Network Biomarker Discovery, the study comprised tests of 170 blood samples from 90 patients diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma; and 80 participants who were previously exposed to asbestos. The study showed that 15 of 19 cases of stage 1 or stage 2 malignant pleural mesothelioma were detected with an approximately 80 percent sensitivity in identifying the disease. There were no false positives.

According to researchers who presented the study, the only patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma that seem to benefit from therapy are those that are found in stage 1, and this is only 10 to 15 percent of patients. When found early enough, the magnitude of the operation necessary to reduce the impact of disease may be less, making the patient better able to cope if the disease recurs and the patient needs more aggressive therapy.