Mesothelioma Clinical Trial on Thalidomide for Mesothelioma Treatment to Begin

Mesothelioma News

Mesothelioma Treatment — New Clinical Study on Treating Mesothelioma with Thalidomide to Begin in Australia

March 5, 2008 — Researchers in Australia are hopeful that a new mesothelioma clinical trial involving treating mesothelioma with the drug, Thalidomide, will produce good results for patients living with the disease. The Australian Lung Cancer Trials Group will help organize the two–year mesothelioma clinical trial, headed by Dr. Nick Pavlakis, a cancer specialist from Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital. He plans to recruit at least 100 volunteers for the study, called MATES (MAintenance Thalidomide in mESothelioma), which is scheduled to begin in March. Dr. Pavlakis seeks to prove that the benefit of giving Thalidomide as a follow–up mesothelioma treatment to ALIMTA^® (pemetrexed) will not only lead to an improvement in the quality of the mesothelioma patient’s life, but perhaps extend their life as well. “We want to find out after they’ve had chemotherapy ... if we give Thalidomide can we then control the disease for longer and maintain quality of life for longer?” Dr. Pavlakis said. (The Courier Mail, January 1, 2008)

All 100 of the patients participating in the MATES clinical trial will have taken ALIMTA^® as part of their mesothelioma treatment plan. Once the mesothelioma patients have completed the ALIMTA^® treatment, they will be given Thalidomide. “The ultimate goal is that if we prove the hypothesis of the trial, which is that Thalidomide may actually delay tumor growth and maintain quality of life, ... we could argue for Thalidomide to be given as a standard after ALIMTA^®,” Dr. Pavlakis told AAP. (The West Australian, January 2, 2008)

ALIMTA^®, Proven Successful in Other Mesothelioma Clinical Trials

ALIMTA^® has shown promising results in other mesothelioma clinical trials, often adding two to three months to a mesothelioma patient’s life. In the MATES clinical trial, it is hoped that the combination of ALIMTA^® as a mesothelioma treatment followed up by Thalidomide will improve the quality of life for those suffering from mesothelioma, and may extend their lives by another five months. Dr. Pavlakis considers this to be of great significance. “That doesn’t sound like a lot but ... everything’s a stepping stone,” Dr. Pavlakis said. “If you look at breast cancer and other diseases where there’s been major changes, at any given time point the changes didn’t seem as big when they actually were discovered. It’s the cumulative effect of little changes over time that add up to a big effect.” (The Courier Mail, January 1, 2008)

Mesothelioma, a Cancer Caused by Asbestos Exposure

Mesothelioma, a deadly type of cancer resulting from exposure to asbestos, affects the lining of the lungs, abdominal cavity and heart. The tumors produced by mesothelioma need the nutrients and oxygen supplied by the body’s blood in order to grow. Thalidomide has shown that it may stop blood vessel growth within tumors and inhibit the development of new blood vessels. “If a [tumor] doesn’t get any blood supply it’s starved of oxygen and nutrients and can’t grow,” said Dr. Wheeler, an oncologist also from Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital who will be a part of the MATES clinical trial. In addition, both doctors are optimistic that the new mesothelioma treatment may improve a patient’s symptoms such as “nausea, night sweats, pain and weight loss and possibly achieve [tumor] stabilization or even regression.” (International Ban Asbestos Secretaiat, Mesothelioma: Australian Data and Research)

Your Mesothelioma Case, How Brayton Purcell Can Help

For over 24 years, the California mesothelioma attorneys of Brayton Purcell have been extensively involved with the legal rights of mesothelioma victims, including injured workers and their families. We have represented both asbestos workers and individuals who have come into contact with asbestos through others. We seek damages to the full extent allowed by law in order to compensate our clients for their pain and suffering, loss of wages, and medical expenses.

If you would like to request more information about how Brayton Purcell’s mesothelioma lawyers can help you, you may contact us through this web site or at our offices. Although our main offices are in California, Oregon, and Utah, we have a nationwide client base, and many of our mesothelioma lawyers are admitted in multiple states.