Study on Methoxyamine Treatment for Mesothelioma
Researchers at five major cancer research centers, including the Mayo Clinic and the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, are recruiting patients for a study of the chemical methoxyamine. The principal investigator is Doctor Marianna Koczywas at City of Hope.
Methoxyamine, when given together with cisplatin and pemetrexed disodium, may be a better treatment for mesothelioma, which does not respond to those two drugs alone.
The study will test different dosages and observe whether the dose is effective and what side effects occur.
Who Can Participate?
In general the study seeks patients with solid tumors without standard treatments over where standard treatments have failed. Patients must be over age 18. They must be able to swallow capsules, and they must agree not to become pregnant during the trial, among other criteria.
Of course, the patient selection criteria are complex. Your doctor should review the study criteria with you and help you determine whether to participate.
How Does Methoxyamine Work?
Cancers are a collection of cancerous cells. What does that mean? Cancer cells have damage to their DNA that causes the cells to function abnormally and, often, to reproduce more quickly. Normally the body’s chemical processes stop cells from becoming cancerous by trying to repair DNA damage before a cancerous cell is born and starts reproducing. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always work in time.
Once a cancerous cell has started reproducing itself, the damaged DNA will be thought of as “normal” inside that cancerous cell and the cancer will perpetuate itself and pass along its DNA to each new cancer cell.
Methoxyamine works to interrupt the process that allows cells to repair their own DNA. The hope is that if the cancer cells cannot repair their own DNA damage, they may shut down and die, being unable to reproduce themselves.
Reporting of Study Results
This is a phase I/II trial study. It started in August 2015 and expects to complete data collection by August 2017. It will take some number of months after data collection before the researchers will be able to compile, analyze, and report on the results of the study.
Keep Your Lawyer Informed
If you choose to participate in a medical trial for your mesothelioma, it is very important that you keep your attorney informed. He or she may need or want additional information for your legal file and may have questions for your doctor about the study.
Your doctor’s job is to try to make you better. Your lawyer’s job is to try to get the money to help pay for your care and to provide for your other damages. While the jobs are different, both professionals are there to assist you in getting the help you need.
When you need legal assistance or representation in an asbestos exposure suit, you should contact one of our mesothelioma attorneys today to discuss how our attorneys can help you protect your rights and get you the help you need.