Study Finds New Chemotherapies to be Ineffective in Fighting Asbestos-Related Cancer

UK-A recently released, joint medical study conducted by researchers from the UK and Australia contained disappointing news for those who suffer from asbestos-caused cancer. The study, known simply as MS01, reported statistical data that provides little for physicians to applaud when it comes to the use of experimental chemotherapies designed to combat asbestos-caused malignant disease. The study focused on patients who suffered from malignant mesothelioma, an aggressive and lethal form of asbestos-caused cancer for which there is no cure.

MPM is only found in individuals who, at some time in their life, had been exposed to asbestos in one of its many forms-the most hazardous medium of the naturally occurring mineral being microscopic and airborne asbestos fibers that are inhaled into the lungs. Once in the lungs, asbestos fibers become firmly imbedded in soft tissues and are almost impossible to remove. These asbestos fibers may lie dormant and undetected in the lungs for 20-50 years before they finally result in MPM or other respiratory diseases.

Many countries around the world have either banned the use of asbestos or greatly increased safety measures designed to protect those who are exposed to the hazardous material. As a result of these measures, asbestos-caused cancer deaths appear to be peaking in Western Europe and North America, though, asbestos is still widely produced and utilized in countries such as Russia, China, Brazil, India, and many others-as a result, asbestos-caused cancer deaths are expected to rise worldwide.

In addition to MPM, exposure to asbestos can also lead to acute respiratory illnesses such as asbestosis, which results in severe scarring of the lungs and greatly reduced lung function, as well as other forms of lung cancer. Individuals who suffer and die from asbestos-caused disease have traditionally been provided with therapies known as active symptom control (ACS) treatments that are designed to improve patient quality of life and can include: steroids; painkillers; bronchodilators, and palliative radiotherapies-none of which offer any curative value.

In the MS01 study, as reported in the London and New York-based medical journal, Lancet, patients in one control group had their ACS treatments supplemented with four cycles of mitomycin, vinblastine, and cisplatin every three weeks. Patients in a second control group, in addition to their ACS therapies, received a once-weekly injection of vinorelbine for a period of 12 weeks, while a third group of MPM patients received ACS therapies only.

When the MS01 data had been fully analyzed, approximately 96 percent of the patients in all three study groups had died from their disease. A slight advantage was given to those patients who had received the additional chemotherapies-these two groups combined their data to achieve a 32 vs. 29 percent, one year survival rate advantage over those patients who received ACS therapies only, though, researchers agree that the increased survival is statistically insignificant.

Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council (MRC) provided funding for the MS01 study, which was conducted under the aegis of the MRC's Clinical Trials Unit (CTU). 409 MPM patients from 76 cancer centers in the UK and two in Australia participated in the study that brings into renewed focus the urgent need to develop new and better ways to treat MPM and other asbestos-caused respiratory diseases.

The study's disappointing findings were summed up by Cancer Research UK's Director, Kate Law, who said: "Mesothelioma is very difficult to treat, and treatment options are limited. These results showed no real benefit from adding these chemotherapy drugs compared with just treating the symptoms of the disease."

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