Trial gives new hope for patients with asbestos-linked cancer

For the first time researchers in Southampton have used a drug to slow the growth of an asbestos-linked cancer.

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that forms in the lining of the lungs or abdomen and is linked to breathing in or ingesting dangerous asbestos fibres.

Experts have said the breakthrough gives new hope to patients who have exhausted traditional treatments, and could give them more time with their loved ones.

Prof Gareth Griffiths, director of the Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and co-lead of the trial, called it “a significant step forward”.

James Fox, from Dorset, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2018 and given less than a year to live.

Having tried other treatment…