Mesothelioma Treatments Combined With Trials

Individually, each drug in the combination must have at least some anti-tumor activity. Drugs that act using different mechanisms make for higher potency and more greater effectiveness for combination treatment than drugs of the same class. For example, an alkylating agent, such as Platinol, in combination with an antimetobolite agent, such as Alimta, provides a synergistic affect for the fighting malignant mesothelioma.

When drugs within the same class function through different mechanisms, these can have synergistic effects. For example, antimetabolite drugs are made to block the synthesis of DNA by stopping the nutrients and other chemicals needed for DNA metabolism. If different drugs block different kinds of nutrients, then these drugs might be able to work together in a synergistic way

Drugs that have different levels of toxicity dosage are also evaluated for combination therapy. Drug combinations that can be given at different times allow time for the patient to recover from the short-term side effects of the treatment.

Get more mesothelioma information, including information on epithelioid, sarcomatoid and biphasic mesothelioma, the three types of mesothelioma cancer cells.