TIME MATTERS
People diagnosed with this disease are often told the expected survival time is only eight to twelve months. However, specialists in treating malignant mesothelioma at the leading cancer centers often have better statistics.

For instance, the five-year survival rate has approached 40% for selected patients of Dr. David Sugarbaker at Brigham and Women’s Center in Boston. To qualify for Dr. Sugarbaker’s treatment you must meet certain criteria. One of them is being in the early stages of the disease, so time is of the essence. To find out more about Dr. Sugarbaker and other physicians and cancer centers specializing in mesothelioma click on Finding Specialists.

Keeping track of your medical treatment is useful and a personal medical records file can help.



TRADITIONAL CARE


There are three traditional kinds of treatment for patients with malignant mesothelioma:

•Surgery (taking out the cancer)
•Chemotherapy (using drugs to fight the cancer)
•Radiation Therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells)
Often two or more of these are combined in the course of treatment. (NEW! Click here for the newest trial of trimodal lung-sparing treatment for pleural mesothelioma: The Columbia Protocol.)



MESOMARK BLOOD TEST
In January 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the MESOMARK assay to help monitor response to treatment in epithelial and bi-phasic malignant mesothelioma patients. A specific protein, or biomarker, called Soluble Mesothelin-Related Peptide (SMRP), may be released into the blood by mesothelioma cancer cells. By measuring the amount of SMRP in a blood sample, doctors may be able to better monitor a patient's progress. Based on the limited amount of data currently available, use of this test may be beneficial, but effectiveness has not been determined at this time. The MESOMARK blood test has NOT yet been approved for the early diagnosis of mesothelioma.

This test has been approved as a Humanitarian Use Device (HUD), meaning that physicians must follow certain procedures to qualify their patients for testing. Once the physician is certified, informational brochures will be sent to be distributed to each applicable patient.

Those wishing to take part in MESOMARK testing will be asked to provide one or more samples of blood. The blood samples will then be sent to a national reference laboratory for testing. In conjunction with other clinical and laboratory data obtained by your doctor, decisions regarding your treatment and care may be simplified. You may discontinue testing at any time.

The costs associated with the MESOMARK blood test may not be covered under health insurance, therefore, you may be required to pay all or part of the costs out of pocket. It is recommended that you check with your insurance carrier to determine whether coverage is available under your policy.




SURGERY