Author: Alex Strauss

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    Mesothelioma Chemotherapy Tested

    ByAlex Strauss

    A clinical trial in Japan is testing the theory that high levels of chemotherapy delivered before other treatments may pave the way for more successful mesothelioma surgery. The administration of very high levels of chemotherapy drugs as a first-line cancer treatment is known as induction chemotherapy. The goal of induction chemotherapy is to kill most of the cancer cells up front, reducing or even eliminating the need for further rounds of chemotherapy or other types of treatment. Because mesothelioma is such a virulent cancer, even induction chemotherapy is not usually enough to kill all of the cancer. But the Japanese researchers believe it may be enough to dramatically improve surgical outcomes. When the 2-year trial, which began in September 2012,…

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    Studies Confirm Success Factors for Mesothelioma Surgery

    ByAlex Strauss

    Completeness of surgery, tumor grade, and the use of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin all have an impact on survival after peritoneal mesothelioma surgery and heated intraoperative chemotherapy, according to recent studies. Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer of the abdominal wall. This type of mesothelioma is often treated by surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible (Cytoreductive surgery or CRS) followed by a wash of heated chemotherapy drugs through the open body cavity (HIPEC). Two recent studies – one conducted in the U.S. and one in Singapore – have independently confirmed a list of factors that contribute to survival after CRS and HIPEC for peritoneal mesothelioma. The first study included 211 peritoneal mesothelioma patients treated with CRS and HIPEC at…

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    New Detection System for Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    A team of biotech scientists in New York have developed an electrochemical process they say can help clinicians detect mesothelioma cells in blood serum. The system works by detecting a protein (HAPLN1) known to be expressed at high levels in the blood serum of people with malignant pleural mesothelioma. Detecting mesothelioma as early as possible is of critical importance because mesothelioma is such a difficult cancer to treat. Associated with asbestos exposure, mesothelioma starts on the membrane around the lungs, heart, or abdomen. It typically grows quickly and does not respond to conventional treatments like chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Biomarkers like the HAPLN1 protein may be value if they can help clinicians distinguish mesothelioma from other conditions with similar symptoms. The scientists…

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    Green Tea, Vitamin C, Chemo Fight Mesothelioma ‘Synergistically’

    ByAlex Strauss

    Another study has found that the beneficial compounds in green tea may be powerful mesothelioma fighters – especially when combined with other drugs and nutrients. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant polyphenol in green tea and is a potent antioxidant. A number of studies have suggested that it may help the body combat various types of cancer, including mesothelioma. Recently, a group of Italian mesothelioma researchers combined EGCG with Vitamin C and a chemotherapy drug called gemcitabine to create a treatment combination called AND (Active Nutrients/Drug). To test the mixture, they administered AND to various mesothelioma cell lines in the laboratory. The result was a “synergistic cytotoxic mechanism”, meaning the ingredients in AND seemed to increase each other’s cancer-fighting properties…

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    New Drug Combo May Fight Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    A new study finds that the combination of a naturally occurring protein and a drug used to treat multiple myeloma may offer a promising new approach to treating mesothelioma. Malignant pleural mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung lining caused by asbestos exposure, is known to be difficult to treat using standard cancer therapies. The newly-tested combination of TNFalpha-Related Apoptosis Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) and the cancer drug bortezomib appears to kill mesothelioma cells by triggering “robust apoptosis” (programmed cell death). Both compounds have been studied on their own for their cancer-killing properties. The protein TRAIL is a part of the immune system secreted by most normal tissue cells. It triggers apoptosis in tumor cells by binding to what are called ‘death receptors’ in…

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    Drop in Lung Volume Predicts Poor Mesothelioma Outcome

    ByAlex Strauss

    Decreases in lung volume may be an indicator of treatment response for patients with mesothelioma. Researchers in the U.S. and Australia reached that conclusion after studying the cases of 61 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma and 216 CT scans taken of them during the course of their standard chemotherapy treatment. Lung volume is a measurement of the amount of air the lung processes (inhales, exhales and holds on to) during the course of a normal breath. People with malignant pleural mesothelioma, a cancer that starts on the lining around the lungs, typically experience a drop in lung volume as the pleural tumor grows and constricts or even invades one of their lungs. The new study measured changes in each mesothelioma patient’s…

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    Iron Range Mesothelioma Patients May Get Answers

    ByAlex Strauss

    People who live in Minnesota’s Iron Range and have contracted malignant mesothelioma may finally get some explanation as to how it happened. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that attacks internal body membranes. It is almost always associated with exposure to the mineral asbestos. But, in the Iron Range, where the mesothelioma rate has been found to be 300 times higher than the rest of the state, the primary mineral is taconite, which is mined for its iron content. Alarmed by the unusually high rate of mesothelioma among taconite miners, the Minnesota Department of Health launched a study of iron range workers in conjunction with the University of Minnesota.  The Taconite Workers Health Study, which started in 2008, is focused on the nearly…

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    Systemic Chemotherapy Ineffective in Peritoneal Mesothelioma?

    ByAlex Strauss

    Peritoneal mesothelioma is a rare cancer that occurs in the membranous lining of the abdomen. This virulent cancer is caused by exposure to asbestos. Because it is so aggressive, most patients with peritoneal mesothelioma are treated with multiple modalities, or a variety of different treatments, in an effort to attack the cancer from all sides. For patients whose mesothelioma is considered operable, surgery is frequently preceded by a round of preoperative chemotherapy. Also referred to as neoadjuvant chemotherapy, preoperative chemotherapy aims to shrink the tumor as much as possible before cytoreductive surgery. Later, during surgery, the same peritoneal mesothelioma patient may have intraoperative chemotherapy (HIPEC) in which chemotherapy drugs are washed through the body cavity where the cancer was found. The procedure…

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    Asbestos Mesothelioma Risk Increased By Other Fibers

    ByAlex Strauss

    Asbestos is a fibrous mineral mined and used for decades in products ranging from insulation to cement, floor and ceiling tiles, adhesives, and friction products. It has been more than forty years since scientists confirmed the link between asbestos and malignant pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer of the lining around the lungs and its use is now heavily regulated in the U.S. In recent years, another mineral called erionite, has also been implicated in mesothelioma cases. Now, a study conducted in France suggests that two other types of mineral particles used in industry may increase the risk of mesothelioma, particularly in people who are also exposed to asbestos. Researchers in Bordeaux, France compared the cases of 1,199 male industrial workers with…

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    Joint Compound Still a Mesothelioma Threat

    ByAlex Strauss

    Most homeowners are aware of the risk of handling asbestos insulation, a common part of home construction from the 1940’s to 70’s. Construction workers may be even more keenly aware of the connection between airborne asbestos fibers and deadly mesothelioma than homeowners. But, while asbestos insulation can be easy to identify (and is no longer used in new construction), a recent article in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health is a reminder of the potential danger that still exists in a less obvious place: joint compound. Joint compound is the paste-like substance that is used to smooth the seams between sheets of drywall. For decades, many manufacturers added chrysotile asbestos fibers to joint compound to make it thicker and more…