There are a large number of chemotherapy drugs in use today. Different agents are grouped into classes that differ from chemotherapy drugs, in which each separate class is defined by the biological activity of individual drugs. Agent of most standards groups have been investigated for treatment of mesothelioma both as a single agent and in combination with other chemotherapy drugs, but generally the results are disappointing. Recent studies indicate that mesothelioma may have a built-in resistance to apoptosis, the programmed death of cells that are not healthy, that would be a major factor in resistance to treatment and possible factors in the overall aggressiveness.
The following section is a summary of a few individuals who have used drugs to treat mesothelioma in the past. Although the pemetrexed and cisplatin is the current standard treatment and has replaced a lot of drugs to be discussed, the possibility that a patient chemotherapy mesothelioma research will find some of these names, so we provide this information to help patients learn more about the history of different agents which has been used for treatment of mesothelioma. In some cases, like that of vinorelbine, a drug which will be discussed at the end of this article is the future possibility of drug treatment and are included to provide information on advanced studies of chemotherapy, rather than the use of this history.
Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy with Antifolates
Antifolates are chemotherapy drugs that inhibit the activity of folate (folic acid) during the synthesis of DNA, which is an important part of cell division and replication. By inhibiting the formation of new DNA, antifolates and may limit the growth of new cells. This is the reason for its usefulness in the treatment of cancer.
Antifolates is a member of the larger class of chemotherapy drugs known as antimetabolites. These chemicals damage the proper execution of certain biochemical processes as the basic structure similar to the elements required for this process, so that they are metabolized to replace the right elements. Once this happens, however, the body can not complete the process targeted for antimetabolite structure prevents the process' execution is appropriate. Antifolates inhibit folate activity because they are structurally similar to it.
A number of antifolates have been investigated for treatment of mesothelioma, the pemetrexed showed the most effectiveness. Even before it was introduced, however, other drugs in this class showed modest response rate in mesothelioma patients. Gene expression analysis has shown that mesothelioma cells over-express folate receptors alpha and powerful theory of mesothelioma specialists is that the antifolate agents produce response activity in mesothelioma cells because they interfere with the folate receptor is activated.
Along with pemetrexed, raltitrexed is another antifolate that has been examined for treatment of mesothelioma. Studies have investigated combination therapy with cisplatin and raltitrexed, and it also has shown some therapeutic activity. When compared with pemetrexed + cisplatin, the cisplatin + raltitrexed regimens exhibited similar toxicity profile, but it does not fit with the overall efficacy of standard regimens.
Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy with Platinum Agents
Platinum agents are part of the class known as alkylating chemotherapy agents / alkylating-like agents. Drugs of this class disrupt cell replication by binding to DNA and cell damage its structural integrity, triggering apoptosis and removal of cells from the cycle of replication. Platinum agent cisplatin was originally developed for chemotherapy, although the analog-carboplatin and oxaliplatin, are also used today.
Both carboplatin and oxaliplatin have been investigated as an alternative platinum agent in first-line treatment of mesothelioma, but they have not shown the same effectiveness of cisplatin has shown. However, cisplatin can be difficult to tolerate and have been associated with side effects in some patients, so it can be used carboplatin replaced cisplatin if poisoning is a concern.
Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy with Anthracyclines
Anthracyclines are among the most commonly used chemotherapy drugs. They are active at all stages of the cell cycle and has been proven effective in the treatment of various types of cancer. Because the general usefulness, doctors have high hopes that the anthracyclines also be effective for treatment of mesothelioma. Doxorubicin, which is marketed under the trade name adriamycin ®, is one of the agents most widely used in this class and extensively tested with mesothelioma patients. At first considered active enough, but subsequent research has revealed very little clinical benefit for its use. Other Anthracyclines have been used as well, but they also have not shown effectiveness for the treatment of many diseases.
Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy with Vinca Alkaloid Agent
Vinca alkaloids is the last major class of drugs we will cover the overview of chemotherapy treatment for mesothelioma. This class drug target cell mitosis, which is the process of cell division in cells where a mother was split into two daughter cells that are genetically identical to each other. A number of Vinca alkaloids have been investigated for treatment of mesothelioma, but most of them have not shown useful activity in the management of disease. However, several recent studies have shown that vinorelbine, newer agents in this class, is very active with mesothelioma cells.
Vinorelbine has been investigated in both single agent therapy and combination therapy with cisplatin. This also has been studied as first-line chemotherapy and as a second-line therapy. The results of this study indicate that that among the most active agents that have been deployed for the treatment of mesothelioma, with response rates similar to pemetrexed. However, some of these same studies also identified a tendency of toxicity in a large number of patients. Most researchers who have reported their findings to do with calls for more research using vinorelbine for the treatment of disease. Because this study treatment activities have been described, vinorelbine research is likely to continue and may be increased if future studies also showed the same response rate.
Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy Agent Other
The four classes of chemotherapy drugs that we have discussed here do not represent all the available classes of chemotherapy for cancer treatment. However, agents from these classes made most of the drugs that are used for mesothelioma chemotherapy, or represents a significant effort in the history of the disease treatment.
A number of newly developed chemotherapy agents is currently engaged in a research laboratory in the treatment of mesothelioma or a new start human trials, so that the information on this page tend to change as a result of this study into
Related information: Chemotherapy & Mesothelioma
For more information related to chemotherapy and treatment of mesothelioma, please read the following:
* Mesothelioma Treatment: What is Chemotherapy?
* Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
The following section is a summary of a few individuals who have used drugs to treat mesothelioma in the past. Although the pemetrexed and cisplatin is the current standard treatment and has replaced a lot of drugs to be discussed, the possibility that a patient chemotherapy mesothelioma research will find some of these names, so we provide this information to help patients learn more about the history of different agents which has been used for treatment of mesothelioma. In some cases, like that of vinorelbine, a drug which will be discussed at the end of this article is the future possibility of drug treatment and are included to provide information on advanced studies of chemotherapy, rather than the use of this history.
Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy with Antifolates
Antifolates are chemotherapy drugs that inhibit the activity of folate (folic acid) during the synthesis of DNA, which is an important part of cell division and replication. By inhibiting the formation of new DNA, antifolates and may limit the growth of new cells. This is the reason for its usefulness in the treatment of cancer.
Antifolates is a member of the larger class of chemotherapy drugs known as antimetabolites. These chemicals damage the proper execution of certain biochemical processes as the basic structure similar to the elements required for this process, so that they are metabolized to replace the right elements. Once this happens, however, the body can not complete the process targeted for antimetabolite structure prevents the process' execution is appropriate. Antifolates inhibit folate activity because they are structurally similar to it.
A number of antifolates have been investigated for treatment of mesothelioma, the pemetrexed showed the most effectiveness. Even before it was introduced, however, other drugs in this class showed modest response rate in mesothelioma patients. Gene expression analysis has shown that mesothelioma cells over-express folate receptors alpha and powerful theory of mesothelioma specialists is that the antifolate agents produce response activity in mesothelioma cells because they interfere with the folate receptor is activated.
Along with pemetrexed, raltitrexed is another antifolate that has been examined for treatment of mesothelioma. Studies have investigated combination therapy with cisplatin and raltitrexed, and it also has shown some therapeutic activity. When compared with pemetrexed + cisplatin, the cisplatin + raltitrexed regimens exhibited similar toxicity profile, but it does not fit with the overall efficacy of standard regimens.
Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy with Platinum Agents
Platinum agents are part of the class known as alkylating chemotherapy agents / alkylating-like agents. Drugs of this class disrupt cell replication by binding to DNA and cell damage its structural integrity, triggering apoptosis and removal of cells from the cycle of replication. Platinum agent cisplatin was originally developed for chemotherapy, although the analog-carboplatin and oxaliplatin, are also used today.
Both carboplatin and oxaliplatin have been investigated as an alternative platinum agent in first-line treatment of mesothelioma, but they have not shown the same effectiveness of cisplatin has shown. However, cisplatin can be difficult to tolerate and have been associated with side effects in some patients, so it can be used carboplatin replaced cisplatin if poisoning is a concern.
Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy with Anthracyclines
Anthracyclines are among the most commonly used chemotherapy drugs. They are active at all stages of the cell cycle and has been proven effective in the treatment of various types of cancer. Because the general usefulness, doctors have high hopes that the anthracyclines also be effective for treatment of mesothelioma. Doxorubicin, which is marketed under the trade name adriamycin ®, is one of the agents most widely used in this class and extensively tested with mesothelioma patients. At first considered active enough, but subsequent research has revealed very little clinical benefit for its use. Other Anthracyclines have been used as well, but they also have not shown effectiveness for the treatment of many diseases.
Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy with Vinca Alkaloid Agent
Vinca alkaloids is the last major class of drugs we will cover the overview of chemotherapy treatment for mesothelioma. This class drug target cell mitosis, which is the process of cell division in cells where a mother was split into two daughter cells that are genetically identical to each other. A number of Vinca alkaloids have been investigated for treatment of mesothelioma, but most of them have not shown useful activity in the management of disease. However, several recent studies have shown that vinorelbine, newer agents in this class, is very active with mesothelioma cells.
Vinorelbine has been investigated in both single agent therapy and combination therapy with cisplatin. This also has been studied as first-line chemotherapy and as a second-line therapy. The results of this study indicate that that among the most active agents that have been deployed for the treatment of mesothelioma, with response rates similar to pemetrexed. However, some of these same studies also identified a tendency of toxicity in a large number of patients. Most researchers who have reported their findings to do with calls for more research using vinorelbine for the treatment of disease. Because this study treatment activities have been described, vinorelbine research is likely to continue and may be increased if future studies also showed the same response rate.
Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy Agent Other
The four classes of chemotherapy drugs that we have discussed here do not represent all the available classes of chemotherapy for cancer treatment. However, agents from these classes made most of the drugs that are used for mesothelioma chemotherapy, or represents a significant effort in the history of the disease treatment.
A number of newly developed chemotherapy agents is currently engaged in a research laboratory in the treatment of mesothelioma or a new start human trials, so that the information on this page tend to change as a result of this study into
Related information: Chemotherapy & Mesothelioma
For more information related to chemotherapy and treatment of mesothelioma, please read the following:
* Mesothelioma Treatment: What is Chemotherapy?
* Mesothelioma Treatment: Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
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