Chemotherapy - a pilot trial funded by the June Hancock Fund
Mesothelioma is a painful disease, and patients are usually helped to manage the symptoms through a combination of painkillers, diet, oxygen and physiotherapy. There have been a small number of inconclusive trials involving chemotherapy.

It is widely acknowledged that mesothelioma is a condition for which there is no recognised specific treatment (with very rare exceptions). For the majority of sufferers, it is a case of managing their symptoms rather than treating them.

There is, however, emerging evidence that modern chemotherapy drugs may offer some patients a benefit either in terms of reducing their symptoms or occasionally increasing their life expectancy. Such benefits are small.

Two recent trials have shown that chemotherapy in patients with mesothelioma can have some short acting symptomatic relief. There is though no evidence yet that this is associated with a cure or extension of life.

Because it is extremely important that patients are not treated uselessly with chemotherapy, the British Thoracic Society (BTS) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) designed a pilot study for a future national trial. The objective was to compare, in a random fashion, the strategies of conventional symptom management versus conventional management PLUS chemotherapy.

This is the largest mesothelioma trial in this country to date, and it has already involved over 250 patients in the pilot trial. The major trial will involve over 800 patients.

The crucial pilot trial was given a £20,000 donation from the June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund, and the main project has received £40,000 from Cancer Research UK.

This is a study unique to the world, and there is intense international interest in its outcome.

No national funding has been received for this work, and the June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund has been the major donor to support the initiative. Without this funding the pilot trial and therefore the main trial could not have been started.

“This is an example of how a dedicated research fund can have a major impact in the way that a particular disease is managed in the UK”, said Fund trustee Dr. Martin Muers.

This is a really important study because it is the benchmark and the only one in the world that will provide important information about the benefits of chemotherapy in mesothelioma patients. It has been strongly supported in the UK by approximately 150 chest physicians and oncologists from over 50 centres throughout the UK. It has the full backing of the Medical Research Council’s clinical trials review board, and of Cancer Research UK.

The June Hancock Research Fund was, to say the least, instrumental in getting this trial underway, and details about the Fund are sent to participating doctors and patients.

If you would like more information about the trials contact the MRC on 0207 670 4735.

June's fund pays for more booklets
The June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund has again financed the updating and printing Information for people with Mesothelioma and their carers. Already over 100,000 copies of Mavis Robinson’s booklet have been distributed to hospitals, hospices and specialist nurse teams, providing them with an invaluable wealth of experience and information. Surprisingly, this is the only available booklet written specifically for mesothelioma sufferers and their carers, and is distributed nationally.

This is a vital part of the Fund’s aims and the June Hancock Fund is happy to support it. Keeping the booklet free of charge enables healthcare workers to pass them on to patients quickly and easily.

The third version of the booklet is now available. You can order printed copies of the booklet from:
Pam Arkless, JHMRF, Irwin Mitchell, 2 Millsands, Riversand East, Sheffield, phone 0114 274 4420.

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Research

Can the body’s own defences be used to treat mesothelioma?
In May 2007 Dr Zsuzsanna Tabi was awarded a grant of £138,119 by the June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund to find out whether mesothelioma patients' own immune systems can be stimulated to attack the tumour cells.  The award runs for three years and the work is being carried out at the University of Cardiff.  A post-doctoral fellow: Dr Al-Taei has been employed to work specifically on the project as part of Dr Tabi’s team.

Mesothelioma is often diagnosed late when the disease has already progressed.  The treatments available at present have limited benefits and consequently patients have an average survival of only about 12 months. This means it is crucial to investigate new therapies which not only help prolong survival and improve quality of life for patients, but may be used to prevent the development of mesothelioma.

The research being done by the Cardiff team uses the fluid which collects around patients’ lungs.  By studying the cells that are in the fluid it is possible to find out whether the patients’ own immune system is able to recognise and attack tumour cells.  So far Dr Tabi’s team have identified a suitable marker, called an antigen, on the tumour cells that means it can be recognised by the body’s immune cells.  This antigen could be used as the basis for a cancer vaccine for mesothelioma.

This could offer a potentially beneficial and non-toxic treatment for patients.  In the long term we hope that a cancer vaccine would not only improve the quality of life and survival rate in patients with the disease, but may even be used to prevent the development of mesothelioma in people with known exposure to asbestos.

The June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund is pleased to support this important research and wishes good luck to Dr Tabi and Dr Al-Taei in their work over the next two years of the project.

A national pilot study - treatment trials in mesothelioma
The study is comparing symptom control (active palliative care) with routine chemotherapy. It is being carried out by the British Thoracic Society in conjunction with the clinical trial unit. Supported by Medical Research Council and the JHMRF is a major supporter.

Laboratory technician
The fund has provided support for a laboratory technician who has developed a mineral fibre analysis technique in the Leeds pathology laboratories. This is also supporting a research fellow in Leicester studying pathogeneses of mesothelioma.

MARS Trial update
The June Hancock Mesothelioma Research Fund made a significant contribution to the Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery pilot study (MARS) to ascertain the feasibility and acceptability of performing this type of treatment, in comparison to chemotherapy and radiotherapy alone. By mid April 2008 97 patients had been recruited to the registration phase and 40 have been randomised to the next phase, which is the surgical trial. The trial will produce results in 2011. For more, call the MARS team on 0208 722 4057/4039 or e-mail marsicrctsu@icr.ac.uk.

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Page last updated: 6 November 2008