Anti-angiogenesis drugs once seemed the most promising treatment for many forms of cancer, including mesothelioma. These drugs, sometimes described as gene therapy or immunotherapy, work by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors.
Every cell depends on a blood supply to live and grow. All our organs are set up with adequate blood supply to maintain them, but because of the way cancers grow and develop, they make excessive demands on the blood supply in areas where supply is often limited. This stimulates the body to make new blood vessels to feed the tumor, stoking the fire of its own destruction. Anti-angiogenesis drugs prevent the growth of these new blood vessels, ideally limiting the growth or even fostering the death of tumors.
Although there was great hope for anti-angiogenesis drugs several years ago, recently hopes have been scaled back. Recent studies show that the impact of these drugs on mesothelioma is very modest. And the pulling of breast cancer as an indication for anti-angiogenesis drug Avastin shows that in general we are realizing these drugs are not the silver bullet we had hoped for in cancer treatment.
If you have been diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma, the cause is asbestos exposure. If you were exposed to asbestos as a result of the negligence of an employer or another corporate entity, you may be able to receive compensation for your illness. Please contact The Law Office of Brown | Kiely, LLP today for a free consultation on your rights and legal options.
