Putting Out the Fire: Working Toward a Strategy to Kill Mesothelioma if it Recurs

Mesothelioma can be like a campfire that won’t go out.

Even with the best surgical technique, chemotherapy and radiation, every doctor worth his or her salt will tell you that none of these therapies – alone or combined – will always put out the fire completely.

You can pour water on it, stomp on it and try to smother it, but no matter how diligent you are, the odds are if you dig deep and look hard enough you’ll find a glowing ember. Over time, that ember can eventually catch fire and spark a wildfire.

The word for that is “recurrence.”  As in, we’ll slash, poison or burn as much tumor as we can see, but after it’s all said and done there will still be micro-tumors seeding in your chest, which can eventually grow into a bigger tumor.

That’s not comforting. What is comforting is knowing that smart people are working on strategies to knock down recurring tumors before they can spark a wildfire. 

I’m pleased to continue supporting this important research initiative with another $100,000 donation to the Pacific Mesothelioma Center.  The scientists and doctors at PMC have developed a novel way of treating mesothelioma recurrences with cryoablation. The strategy involves delivery of compressed argon gas through a needle which freezes and kills the tumor cells on contact. The treatment is minimally invasive and can be done on an outpatient basis.

Cryoablation is currently being used to treat mesothelioma recurrences at the Comprehensive Mesothelioma Centers at both UCLA Medical Center and the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Medical Center. 

  

PMC is researching ways to enhance the effectiveness of cryoablation by combining it with cancer vaccines.   

At Worthington & Caron, we see every day the stress endured by mesothelioma patients. Not only do they have to worry about finding the right doctors to treat their cancer, they also have to contend with the probability that even if all goes well, they’ll still need to deal with a recurrence.

Mesothelioma patients are fortunate to have access to the Comprehensive Mesothelioma Centers at UCLA and the West Los Angeles VA. Doctors at each venue are uniquely qualified to both put out the fire, and knock it down again if it flares up down the road. 

Sincerely,

Roger Worthington

6/9/15

Worthington Supports Innovative Stem Cell Therapy Initiative for Mesothelioma. Donates $100,000 to Pacific Meso Center

[San Pedro, CA.]  Roger Worthington of Worthington & Caron, PC announced today he is donating $100,000 to the Pacific Meso Center (PMC) in Los Angeles, California to help continue their research on the use of modified stem cells to treat patients stricken with malignant mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by asbestos.

“I continue to be amazed by the cutting edge and brilliant research being done by the PMC,” said Mr. Worthington, who has been representing asbestos cancer patients for 25 years.

“With the encouragement of Scientific Advisor, Dr. Robert Cameron, the PMC has been working on an exciting project that is exploring the potential for treating meso patients with modified stem cells from discarded placentas.  It’s tougher than ever these days for scientists to fund research on rare diseases and I’m pleased to help.”

In a nutshell, PMC’s “mesenchymal stem cell program” works like this. Stems cells are harvested from discarded placentas, modified with immunological agents, and put into a “spheroid” model to test how changes to the tumor environment in the chest can ally with the body’s natural defenses to destroy tumor cells after surgery.

“The goal is to inject the modified stem cells, which the body doesn't readily reject, into the chest cavity after surgery, “explained Dr. Cameron, a world renown thoracic surgeon at UCLA Medical School.  “If the therapy ‘takes,’ then the body can destroy the mesothelioma cells that remain in the chest after a successful surgery, and the patient can avoid chemotherapy and radiation. “  

Currently, even with the best surgical technique, after surgery the chest cavity is blanketed with microscopic tumor cells. As a result, the question is not so much whether the tumor will recur, but when. To prolong the date of recurrence, patients are forced to endure often-debilitating radiation and chemotherapy treatments.

Over the past 12 years, Worthington has supported a number of treatment- related projects, including immunotherapy, interferon alpha maintenance therapy, cryoablation and Interleukin (IL-4) immunotoxin therapy. 

“The goal has always been to give mesothelioma patients more treatment options,” said Worthington. “But the reality is to truly take a whack at mesothelioma, it’s going to take a lot more public and private funding. I hope my donation can encourage other lawyers, as well as everyone involved with this disease, to give back as well.”

For more information about the Pacific Mesothelioma Center, please click on www.phlbi.org/divisions/lung-disease/pacific-meso-center.  

Roger Worthington, Esq. can be reached via www.mesothel.com or by phone at 800.831.9399.