New Mesothelioma Treatments That Make a Difference

Since the 1990s, general therapeutic and treatment advances have greatly increased the overall cancer survival rate. For example, today’s chemotherapy drugs are much more powerful than the ones previously available. However, these advances have not affected the mesothelioma survival rate. In fact, the five-year mesothelioma survival rate is less than 10%. Additionally, since mesothelioma is more painful than other kinds of cancer, the remaining years will be hard for victims and their families.

As outlined below, some new, cutting-edge treatments may extend that survival period. However, these medical treatments are very expensive. A nationwide asbestos lawyer obtains the compensation these families need to pay these extenses, not only now but in the future as well. Compensation is also available for noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Additional punitive damages are usually available in asbestos exposure cases as well.

Traditionally, scientists believed that DNA was an unalterable map. Epigenetic therapy has revealed a more dynamic aspect of our genetic makeup.

Epigenetics is changes in gene expression that do not change the underlying DNA sequence. In other words, genes can evolve and change in response to external factors.

Epigenetic therapy explores the influence of environmental factors on gene activity. In the context of pleural mesothelioma, where asbestos exposure is the risk factor, understanding these changes becomes crucial. Asbestos can influence the epigenetic makeup of cells, affecting the way genes are expressed and regulated.

Asbestos exposure not only poses a direct risk to the lungs but also affects the growth DNA of cells. Asbestos fibers change the way cells behave and multiply, increasing the risk of cancerous growth. Free radical particles are part of this process.

Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that can damage cells, including their DNA. Asbestos exposure can lead to the generation of free radicals in the body, creating an environment conducive to the formation of cancerous tumors. The damage caused by free radicals can disrupt the normal functioning of cells, potentially leading to uncontrolled cell division and the development of cancer.

Tiny asbestos fibers embedded in the body create free radicals over many decades, causing disease and contributing to the formation of carcinomas tumors that form mesothelioma and other asbestos-related cancers.

Epigenetic therapy offers a way to disrupt gene activity influenced by asbestos exposure and slow the progression of mesothelioma.

In the 1970s, Dr. Judah Folkman theorized that tumors could not grow beyond a certain size without a blood supply. His colleagues picked up that ball and ran with it, proposing angiogenesis (blood flow interruption) as a potential strategy to starve tumors of the nutrients they need to thrive.

Tumors manipulate this process to sustain growth. In cancers like pleural mesothelioma, asbestos exposure triggers inflammation, which sets the stage for angiogenesis.

By disrupting angiogenesis, researchers cut off the blood supply to tumors, essentially starving them of the nutrients they require to flourish. Drugs like bevacizumab, which targets a protein crucial for angiogenesis, have shown promise in slowing tumor growth and improving outcomes for certain cancers.

In the case of pleural mesothelioma, asbestos exposure triggers chronic inflammation in the lungs, creating an environment conducive to angiogenesis. The inflammation prompts the release of signals that stimulate the formation of new blood vessels, creating a network that nourishes the growing tumor. This connection between asbestos, inflammation, and angiogenesis highlights the way external factors hijack normal bodily processes, contributing to cancer development.

Mesothelioma victims need and deserve significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced nationwide mesothelioma lawyer, contact the Throneberry Law Group. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.