Mesothelioma Foundations

Mesothelioma Doctors

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Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive

Contact Information

401 N. Broadway Baltimore, MD 21231
(410) 502-1033

Affiliated Doctors

Dr. Stephen C Yang

Johns Hopkins’ Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center opened its doors in 1973 to educate its patients and the Baltimore community, engage in laboratory and clinical research, and treat and prevent cancer. The facility has been designated as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Comprehensive Cancer Center and is the only one of its type in the state of Maryland. The Kimmel Cancer Center is one of only 40 cancer centers to receive this designation in the nation.

To facilitate the recruitment of talented faculty, the National Institute of Health (NIH) awarded $3.1 million in funding to the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center. In total, 35 awards were distributed to various cancer centers throughout the nation. Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center was the recipient of two of those awards. The funds originated from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The awards will be used in the areas of oncology and pharmacology.

Each year, the National Cancer Institute sponsors a grant, Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) for lung cancer research. The grant promotes rapid and quality development of treatments that can be tested in clinical environments and later used for cancer patients. The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center was one of the few American facilities selected to receive the esteemed award.

The Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center has promoted research and patient care by expanding its research facility. Three buildings have been added since 1973 to acquire state-of-the-art equipment and treatment facilities. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Building opened in the fall of 1999, the Bunting Blaustein Cancer Research Building opened in 2000, and in 2006, the Koch Cancer Research Building opened. The mission of the John Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center is to promote clinical trials, recruit highly skilled physicians, develop state-of-the-art treatments and technology, and educate the community about cancer prevention and care.

Clinical trials are important in the development of drugs for human use. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will not approve a drug for public use unless the drug passes the safety and effectiveness tests in clinical trial programs. Human subjects are necessary for the drug to become an approved treatment by the FDA.

Currently, the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center is conducting over 30 clinical trials. Several trials are related to developing treatments for rare cancer diseases, such as mesothelioma. A few of the trials include:

Pemetrexed is a drug showing significant improvements in cancer patients’ prognosis. This particular trial combines Pemetrexed and Cisplatin with MORAB-009 in order to treat asbestos-related cancer diseases. (JO897)
Another study is conducted for the use of Pemetrexed and Cisplatin in combination with Aflibercept. The study is for patients in the advanced stages of cancer. The trial is in Phase I and II of development. (JO943)
This Phase II study tests the safety of STA-9090 in patients with cancer that has developed into Stage III or Stage IV of the disease. The drug is primarily for use in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). (JO9117)
Scientists conduct studies of Deforolimus in a Phase II trial for non-small cell lung cancer patients (NSCLC). The study specifically targets those patients with KRAS mutations.

To treat rare cancer diseases, most oncologists employ multimodal treatments that include two or more methods, including surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. Minimally invasive surgical procedures have made cancer treatments bearable in patients who are not good candidates for more intense procedures. New targeted drugs, diagnostic tools, and other innovative therapies and technologies have drastically improved the patient’s prognosis over the past years. Scientists are still making strides daily to improve prognosis in mesothelioma patients as well.