Brian Cunniff, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine

(FEBRUARY 21, 2024) Brian Cunniff, Ph.D., assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, spoke with WCAX-TV about an important milestone the UVM Cancer Center has reached in its testing for a treatment for mesothelioma, an aggressive and rare form of lung cancer, and about what the advancement means for patients.

Mesothelioma has been linked to asbestos exposure and comes with a five-year survival rate of only five to 10 percent. Only two therapies have been approved for the treatment of mesothelioma since 2004, which affects about 3,000 people a year in the United States. Now, UVM researchers have started a Phase 2 trial for a promising treatment.