Researchers at the Boston Children’s Hospital have identified a protein produced by certain tumors that inhibits the spread of cancer, including mesothelioma, and has the potential to be developed into a lung cancer treatment.

Currently there is no therapy that has been approved to inhibit the migration of cancer cells from the original site of the cancer.

Researchers have found that metastic tumors prepare landing places for additional cancerous cells in other organs by secreting proteins that encourage tumor growth. This new study now shows non-metastic tumors secrete protein called prosaposin that inhibits metastasis by blocking the growth of blood vessels.

When the protein was tested on mice that had cancerous tumors metastisis was reduced significantly and survival time in the mice increased by 30%.

With no cure having been found for mesothelioma, and most meso treatments being focused on extending time of survival, one would assume that treating meso might be a great usage for this protein. To this point ridding someone of mesothelioma isn’t a reality but until that day comes containing the disease caused by asbestos exposure is incredibly important in increasing time of survival. Hopefully this newly found protein will help in containing mesothelioma until we find a cure.

Learn about the legal options for mesothelioma victims.

A meeting in Eveleth, Minnesota will be held to figure out what is causing the high rate of mesothelioma, the lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

Hopes are that a survey conducted by the University of Minnesota will study 1200 taconite workers and 800 of their spouses. Dr. Jeff Mandel of U of M will be mailing letters to invite people from the area to participate in the study. Letters will be sent to people regardless of whether they are suspected to have contracted mesothelioma or not. This will provide a random sample of the workers.

Participants in the study will get an x-ray, blood test, and breathing test to screen for mesothelioma.

Get more mesothelioma information.

Research is now showing that employees in hair salons could be at a higher risk to develop mesothelioma. 

Traditionally asbestos victims have often been associated with occupations such as factory, mine, and construction workers but hair dressers may be just as susceptible to mesothelioma.

The research suggests that asbestos fibers become lose in these salons then travel through hair dryer vents and make their way into the air in the salon. The  mesothelioma research also states that there have been several mesothelioma cases of salon employees dying of mesothelioma before the age of 60 over the last 30 years.

Learn more about mesothelioma research.

Earlier this month at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), researchers presented findings from a phase three clinical trial that the drug ranpirnase added to the drug doxorubicin improves survival in pretreated patients with malignant mesothelioma.

Dr. Martin Reck, MD, Hospital Grosshansdorf, Hamburg, Germany, and colleagues compared the efficacy and safety of doxorubicin with or without ranpirnase. They studied 413 patients that had unresectable malignant mesothelioma. The patients were allowed to have up to 1 previous line of treatment and the mean age was approximately 62 years. The study found no real difference in survival rates among patients who received both drugs and patients who received one drug and a placebo. However, in a preplanned analysis of 130 patients who had been pretreated with chemotherapy, a significant advantage in survival in favor of doxorubicin plus ranpirnase was noted, with a median survival of 10.5 months for ranpirnase versus 9 months for placebo.

No adverse safety issues were observed with the addition of ranpirnase and researchers concluded that the treatment is safe and feasible and may result in a significant impact on survival compared with doxorubicin alone for pretreated patients.

Yesterday, The Union Tribune in San Diego published an article addressing the use of alternative medicine for cancer patients. At this point herbal and dietary supplements haven’t been tested enough to say whether they can help or harm an individual working to prevent or treat cancer. Below you will see a number of different forms of alternative medicine. First, techniques that are believed by scientists to ease the symptoms one would face while battling cancer; second, techniques that are not considered to be helpful and possibly even harmful; and finally, forms of treatment that offer a risk of hormone or drug interaction.

Alternative Medicine That Can Ease Symptoms           

• Massages
• Mind-Body Techniques- Includes meditation, hypnosis, different relaxation    techniques, behavioral therapy, bio feedback , and guided imagery.
• Ginger Capsules- Used to work against nausea brought on by chemotherapy.
• Yoga and Tai Chi
• Music and Art Therapy
• Acupuncture- Deals with certain types of nausea, pain, dry mouth and hotflashes.

 Alternative Options That Do Not Help And Could Cause Harm

•  High doses of vitamin E, A, and possibly C
• Laetrile
• Chaparral
• Shark Cartilage
• Pau D’arco
• PC-SPES- a herbal concoction for prostate health

Alternative Options That Offer a Risk of Drug or Hormone Interaction

• St. John’s Wort- Lowers the effectiveness of many medications.
•  Fish oil, garlic, ginger,gingko, and feverfew- All bring on the risk of bleeding.
• Magnesium and thiazide- Does not react well with cisplastin and similar cancer drugs.
• Red clover, dong quai, licorice- Offer a hormonal risk for women.
• Folic Acid- Interferes with the cancer drug methotrexate.

 All of the above information came from SignOnSanDiego.Com, Society for Integrative Oncology, American Dietetic Association, various federal agency Web sites, and AP interviews.