Written By: Devin Golden
The Search for a Malignant Mesothelioma Cure: Emerging Treatment Options and Mesothelioma Research
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure. It can take decades to develop, which can lead to difficulties in diagnosis and treatment. Due to these obstacles, there is no cure for mesothelioma, but new therapies are improving survival rates. Some of these therapies are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Medically Reviewed By
Karen Ritter, RN BSN
Registered Nurse
Medically Reviewed By
Karen Ritter, RN BSN
Registered Nurse
JUMP TO A TOPIC
Important Facts About New Mesothelioma Treatments and a Mesothelioma Cure
- Immunotherapy is a new mesothelioma treatment receiving a lot of attention. Three immunotherapy drugs are FDA-approved for unresectable pleural mesothelioma.
- A tumor treating fields device called Optune Lua is FDA-approved for pleural mesothelioma patients.
- Other potential answers to the mesothelioma cure are oncolytic virus therapy, gene therapy and photodynamic therapy.
- Clinical trials are the best way to investigate the benefits of new treatments for mesothelioma.
Emerging Treatments for Mesothelioma
Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are the primary methods for mesothelioma treatment. They’re widely regarded as effective cancer therapies and are offered at most top cancer centers. However, patients diagnosed with mesothelioma are often limited in treatment options, so new emerging treatments can be beneficial.
Immunotherapy is one of the new best treatment options. Researchers and mesothelioma specialists believe in specific immunotherapy drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors. This type of treatment enhances the immune system to fight mesothelioma and does not affect the patient’s quality of life as much as chemotherapy drugs.
Other emerging treatments for mesothelioma are:
- Oncolytic virus therapy
- Tumor treating fields
- Photodynamic therapy
- Gene therapy
Mesothelioma Immunotherapy
Mesothelioma immunotherapy strengthens the body’s immune system. There are two approaches to immunotherapy.
The first is active immunotherapy, which uses medication to enhance the immune system’s ability to kill cancer cells. The other is passive immunotherapy, which adds laboratory-created proteins to what the body is currently lacking.
Checkpoint inhibitors and oncolytic viruses are types of active immunotherapy. Adoptive cell therapy and monoclonal antibodies are versions of passive immunotherapy.
The FDA approved Opdivo and Yervoy for mesothelioma. The acceptance requires both drugs to be used together and only for “unresectable” pleural mesothelioma.
These two drugs are immune checkpoint inhibitors. Keytruda, another checkpoint inhibitor, is also approved for people with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. No other immunotherapy drugs are approved by the FDA for mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma Oncolytic Virus Therapy
Mesothelioma oncolytic virus therapy uses viruses to fight cancer. Researchers harness the power of viruses by modifying them to be safe for healthy cells.
The idea for oncolytic virus therapy developed more than a century ago. Doctors observed cancers shrinking in patients who were infected with a virus.
In 1896, a 42-year-old woman with leukemia went into remission after catching the flu. In 1974, the Mumps virus helped 41% of cancer patients have either complete regression or significant disease shrinking.
There are three types of oncolytic virus therapy for mesothelioma:
- Oncolytic viruses attack cancer cells by breaking them up internally.
- Viral immunotherapy infects cancer cells to stimulate an immune system response.
- Viral vectors serve as transports or carriers for other therapies.
ONCOS-102 is the mesothelioma oncolytic virus therapy treatment with the most momentum. ONCOS-102 is an oncolytic virus that also stimulates the immune system, making it a form of multimodal therapy. The FDA gave it fast-track designation, which means it’ll receive priority for reviews in the approval process.
Tumor Treating Fields for Mesothelioma
Tumor treating fields are an innovative cancer therapy combined with chemotherapy. The wearable device sends electric waves through the body. These waves disrupt cell division and cause diseased cells to die.
The FDA approved the NovoTTF-100L, now called Optune Lua, for unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. It is classified as a Humanitarian Use Device, which is for diseases affecting 8,000 or fewer people in the United States. Malignant pleural mesothelioma meets this criteria.
Mesothelioma Photodynamic Therapy
Photodynamic therapy utilizes light-reactive chemicals in drugs called photosensitizers. When light activates these chemicals, oxygen is released that kills nearby cancer cells. Photosensitizer drugs are administered intravenously and are absorbed by cancer cells.
The increased oxygen can prevent the formation of blood vessels, which limits nutrients for tumors. This halts the tumors’ growth as cells don’t get the nutrients needed to thrive.
Photodynamic therapy kills mesothelioma cells and weakens tumors, which makes them more susceptible to chemotherapy or radiation. Some side effects include rashes and sensitivity to light.
Mesothelioma Gene Therapy
Mesothelioma gene therapy sends a laboratory-altered or lab-created gene into the patient’s body. Gene therapy can restructure flawed cancer cells’ genes, add cancer-fighting genes, or block cancerous genes.
Doctors deliver gene therapy drugs through viral vectors or bacteria. As healthy DNA enters the disease site, dysfunctional genes become functional or the body produces cancer-fighting proteins (like “interferon alpha-2b protein”). These proteins lead to an immune reaction.
Dr. Daniel Sterman is a believer in the power of gene therapy for mesothelioma. He hopes doctors can take mesothelioma “from a death sentence to a chronic disease that a patient can live with for years.”
SMART
SMART for mesothelioma is an innovative multimodal treatment protocol offered at select cancer centers in North America. SMART is an acronym for “surgery for mesothelioma after radiation therapy.”
The multimodal therapy approach gives radiation therapy to patients a few days before aggressive surgery. SMART is for pleural mesothelioma and is not intended for peritoneal mesothelioma.
Most cancer centers give patients radiation therapy after surgery. Doctors at Princess Margaret Cancer Center in Toronto created the idea of SMART. Michigan Medicine is the first U.S. institution to offer the multimodal approach to treating mesothelioma.
Clinical Trials for Mesothelioma and Future Emerging Treatments
Clinical trials explore many of these emerging mesothelioma treatments to test different combinations and new drugs. These studies offer mesothelioma patients an opportunity to receive immunotherapy, gene therapy or oncolytic virus therapy drugs not available at any general hospital or even most mesothelioma cancer centers.
When qualifying for a clinical trial, a potential candidate must meet certain criteria, such as a specified age or gender as well as have certain health requirements, and it may be dependent on their type of mesothelioma and stage.
Our patient advocates can help you apply for a mesothelioma clinical trial to test new treatments. We’ll work to find one near your local area. We’ll also explore options to financial support options to pay for travel costs and expand the trial options. These studies are the best hope of curing mesothelioma, and you can play a part in the ongoing research for this cancer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Finding a Cure for Mesothelioma
Is mesothelioma curable?
There is no cure for the rare cancer mesothelioma — at least not yet. Research is ongoing to test new therapies against this cancer. Some new treatment options help slow the cancer’s growth. The hope is a therapy or combination of therapies can kill the cancer quickly and decisively.
What are some of the new treatment options for mesothelioma?
Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation have been used for decades as mesothelioma treatment options. In the last few years, immunotherapy has emerged as a viable replacement to chemotherapy. Other new therapies include:
What other promising information is available about a potential mesothelioma cure?
Doctors are testing different combinations of therapies, including changing up the order that patients receive them. For example, some hospitals administer radiation therapy before surgery. Other studies test immunotherapy and surgery together.
Sources & Author
- History of Oncolytic Viruses: Genesis to Genetic Engineering. Molecular Therapy. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1525001616313314. Accessed: 10/10/18.
- Types of Immunotherapy. WebMD. Retrieved from: https://www.webmd.com/cancer/immunotherapy-treatment-types. Accessed: 02/24/2021.
- FDA Approves Drug Combination for Treating Mesothelioma. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved from: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-drug-combination-treating-mesothelioma. Accessed: 10/04/2020.
- Continued survival benefit in Targovax’s ONCOS-102 trial in mesothelioma at the 21-month follow-up. PRNewswire. Retrieved from: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/continued-survival-benefit-in-targovaxs-oncos-102-trial-in-mesothelioma-at-the-21-month-follow-up-301233073.html. Accessed: 02/23/2021.
- Oncolytic Virus Therapy. Cancer Research Institute. Retrieved from: https://www.cancerresearch.org/immunotherapy/treatment-types/oncolytic-virus-therapy. Accessed: 03/24/2021.
- FDA approves pembrolizumab with chemotherapy for unresectable advanced or metastatic malignant pleural mesothelioma. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved from: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-pembrolizumab-chemotherapy-unresectable-advanced-or-metastatic-malignant-pleural. Accessed: 09/18/2024.
