Karmanos Cancer Institute Revenue and Competitors

Karmanos is also involved in new treatments for mesothelioma patients, including the use of Alimtar (pemetrexed), a drug that blocks the enzymes necessary for cancer cells to synthesize thymidine and purine. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a combination of Alimtar plus a standard chemotherapy drug, cisplatin, to treat pleural mesothelioma, the form of the disease that attacks the lining of the lungs and chest cavity. Karmanos is enrolling patients in a clinical trial that treats mesothelioma with Alimtar plus gemcitabine, an antimetabolite that may prevent tumor growth. Another clinical trial will look at a combination of Alimtar, surgery, and radiation to slow the spread of pleural mesothelioma tumors. Karmanos has established a hotline concerning asbestos, vermiculite, mesothelioma, asbestosis, and other asbestos diseases at 888-527-6266. The Institute is one of several medical centers treating asbestos diseases. The ASDTR's list of Occupational and Environmental Medical Clinics is also a useful resource.