The chemotherapy agent Navelbine® (vinorelbine) may improve outcomes for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. However, the combination chemotherapy regimen referred to as MVP (mitoxantrone, vinblastine, and cisplatin) does not provide any benefit for patients with this disease. These results were published in The Lancet.
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare cancer that develops in the tissue that covers the lungs and lines the interior of the chest. It is often caused by chronic exposure to asbestos. The majority of patients are not diagnosed until the disease has progressed to an advanced stage; treatment with surgery or radiation is not an option at this stage. Patients with this disease often experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, cough, pain, fatigue, and an inability to eat, which lessen their quality of life.
Mesothelioma is fairly resistant to most therapies, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Therefore, finding a chemotherapy regimen or new therapeutic approaches that can improve quality of life or survival is essential for improving care for patients with this disease. Prior results have indicated that the chemotherapy combination consisting of Alimta® (pemetrexed) plus a platinum compound provides significant anticancer activity in patients with newly diagnosed mesothelioma. Researchers continue to evaluate different chemotherapy agents for the treatment of this disease.
Researchers from England recently conducted a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of MVP and vinorelbine in the treatment of MPM. This trial included 409 patients from 76 medical institutions in England and two in Australia. Patients were treated with either active symptom control (ASC), consisting of steroids, pain relievers, and agents to dilate lung passages; radiation therapy to relieve pain or pressure; ASC plus MVP; or ASC plus Navelbine.
• There was no evidence that the addition of MVP provided survival benefit compared to ASC alone.
• The addition of Navelbine to ASC provided a survival benefit compared with ASC alone, although this benefit was minimal.
• No benefit in terms of quality of life was achieved with the addition of chemotherapy to ASC.
The researchers concluded that the addition of MVP to ASC did not provide any benefit compared with ASC only for patients with MPM. However, results from the addition of Navelbine to ASC “suggested that vinorelbine merits further investigation.” Further evaluation of Navelbine is necessary to confirm these results. In addition, direct comparisons of Navelbine to Alimta are necessary to determine the potential clinical benefit of Navelbine among patients with MPM.
Patients with MPM may wish to speak with their physician regarding their individual risks and benefits of participating in a clinical trial further evaluating chemotherapy or other novel therapies. Two sources of information regarding ongoing clinical trials include the National Cancer Institute (www.cancer.gov) and www.eCancerTrials.com.
Reference: Muers M, Stephens R, Fisher P, et al. active symptom control with or without chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MS01): a multicentre randomised trial. The Lancet. 2008; 371:1685-1694.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Women&Cancer to Be Featured on NBC’s Today Show on Monday, June 23
Women&Cancer Executive Editor Charles H. Weaver, MD to Appear on Today Show
Women&Cancer magazine’s executive editor Charles H. Weaver will appear on NBC’s Today Show on Monday, June 23rd to discuss the magazine’s mission of delivering information and inspiration to women affected by a cancer diagnosis with the show’s fourth-hour co-anchor Hoda Kotb. Dr. Weaver will emphasize the value of bringing issues related to wellness, prevention, treatment, and advocacy to a consumer audience, and will describe the importance for women of creating a dialog around these issues.
Kotb, who is featured on Women&Cancer’s summer 2008 cover, is a breast cancer survivor who brought her own story public in October, 2007. In the cover feature, Kotb discusses her difficult decision to go public with her story, the passion for breast cancer advocacy that she now embraces, and her determination to not waste another day: “If you survive breast cancer,” Kotb says, “it could be the best thing that happened to you because suddenly you are empowered; because you have strength now; because you realize that your life has margins—it’s to be valued and not wasted.”
In addition to Kotb’s feature, the summer issue also other important topics and features included in the summer issue include: new cancer vaccines; advances in breast reconstruction; reproductive concerns for women facing cancer treatment; an interview with Olympic figure skater and breast cancer survivor Peggy Fleming; and up-to-date information about the benefits of exercise during and after cancer treatment.
As always, the magazine also includes articles that span wellness, spiritual, and family issues related to a cancer diagnosis, highlighted in this issue by articles about, and many more.
About Women&Cancer
Women&Cancer is a quarterly women's health and lifestyle magazine that recognizes women are the main healthcare decision makers for themselves and their families. All women are impacted by cancer, whether they are concerned about screening and early detection, nutrition, environmental and genetic risk factors for themselves and their families, or are impacted by an actual diagnosis of cancer. Women want and need information on the wellness, prevention, diagnosis and management issues related to cancer, as well as inspirational and informative articles about support services that address the mind, body, and spirit of the individual. Women&Cancer offers all women a trusted resource dedicated to topics related to the prevention and management of cancer while emphasizing wellness, fostering community, and inspiring hope.
A one-year subscription to the English version of Women&Cancer is $24.95 and can be purchased online at www.WomenandCancermag.com. A subscription includes four quarterly issues of Women&Cancer
About Omni Health Media, LLC
Omni Health Media publishes Women&Cancer, and manages www.WomenandCancermag.com. Women&Cancer is a quarterly magazine offering all women a trusted resource dedicated to topics related to the prevention and management of cancer while emphasizing wellness, fostering community, and inspiring hope.
Women&Cancer magazine is available online at www.WomenandCancermag.com, where the site also offers additional daily content and community. Omni Health Media also provides print and Internet-based marketing solutions and publishing services to the oncology marketplace.
Women&Cancer magazine’s executive editor Charles H. Weaver will appear on NBC’s Today Show on Monday, June 23rd to discuss the magazine’s mission of delivering information and inspiration to women affected by a cancer diagnosis with the show’s fourth-hour co-anchor Hoda Kotb. Dr. Weaver will emphasize the value of bringing issues related to wellness, prevention, treatment, and advocacy to a consumer audience, and will describe the importance for women of creating a dialog around these issues.
Kotb, who is featured on Women&Cancer’s summer 2008 cover, is a breast cancer survivor who brought her own story public in October, 2007. In the cover feature, Kotb discusses her difficult decision to go public with her story, the passion for breast cancer advocacy that she now embraces, and her determination to not waste another day: “If you survive breast cancer,” Kotb says, “it could be the best thing that happened to you because suddenly you are empowered; because you have strength now; because you realize that your life has margins—it’s to be valued and not wasted.”
In addition to Kotb’s feature, the summer issue also other important topics and features included in the summer issue include: new cancer vaccines; advances in breast reconstruction; reproductive concerns for women facing cancer treatment; an interview with Olympic figure skater and breast cancer survivor Peggy Fleming; and up-to-date information about the benefits of exercise during and after cancer treatment.
As always, the magazine also includes articles that span wellness, spiritual, and family issues related to a cancer diagnosis, highlighted in this issue by articles about, and many more.
About Women&Cancer
Women&Cancer is a quarterly women's health and lifestyle magazine that recognizes women are the main healthcare decision makers for themselves and their families. All women are impacted by cancer, whether they are concerned about screening and early detection, nutrition, environmental and genetic risk factors for themselves and their families, or are impacted by an actual diagnosis of cancer. Women want and need information on the wellness, prevention, diagnosis and management issues related to cancer, as well as inspirational and informative articles about support services that address the mind, body, and spirit of the individual. Women&Cancer offers all women a trusted resource dedicated to topics related to the prevention and management of cancer while emphasizing wellness, fostering community, and inspiring hope.
A one-year subscription to the English version of Women&Cancer is $24.95 and can be purchased online at www.WomenandCancermag.com. A subscription includes four quarterly issues of Women&Cancer
About Omni Health Media, LLC
Omni Health Media publishes Women&Cancer, and manages www.WomenandCancermag.com. Women&Cancer is a quarterly magazine offering all women a trusted resource dedicated to topics related to the prevention and management of cancer while emphasizing wellness, fostering community, and inspiring hope.
Women&Cancer magazine is available online at www.WomenandCancermag.com, where the site also offers additional daily content and community. Omni Health Media also provides print and Internet-based marketing solutions and publishing services to the oncology marketplace.
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