Source: CancerMonthly.Com

Research into the treatment of mesothelioma is taking place on many fronts. While the typical treatment regimen is still a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, new avenues of therapy are being researched and many hold great promise for the future. Some of these cutting-edge therapies target the molecular pathways by which the disease grows and spreads itself throughout the body. Therapies based on anti-angiogenesis drugs target the signaling pathways involved with the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein or the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein and attempt to disrupt the processes by which tumors develop. Other signaling pathways being studied for the treatment of mesothelioma include the Wnt pathway, which is thought to play an important role in activating mesothelioma stem cells, as well as the P53, pRB, BCL-2 pathways. Along with the development of targeted anti-cancer agents, work in genomics also promises to revolutionize cancer treatment. By looking at how the body works at its most basic level, scientists hope to develop therapies based on the interaction of drug agents with an individual's genetics.

Labels: mesothelioma