Doctors Encouraged By New Mesothelioma Treatment

By Robin Culverwell    

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A study from the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine details promising results of immunotherapy involving patients with Mesothelioma.

In a very small study, researchers found a way to get the body to use its own immune system to fight Mesothelioma tumors.

"Instead of giving someone an outside vaccine, we let the body make the tumor itself become the vaccine."

Dr. Steven Albelda says they a modified cold virus injected directly into a patient's chest cavity, triggers an immune response and kills some of the tumor cells.

Then the body recognizes dying tumor cells with its activated immune system, and continues to fight the tumor.

Dr. Albelda says even in a clinical trial of nine patients, this therapy showed promise because current treatment might increase survival by a few months but doesn't cure any one.