Author: Alex Strauss

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    Concerning CT Findings and Mesothelioma Prognosis

    ByAlex Strauss

    One of the nation’s top mesothelioma doctors says concerning CT findings may be one of the best ways to predict peritoneal mesothelioma outcomes.  Dr. Paul Sugarbaker is with MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. His newly published study compares 11 different concerning CT findings with outcomes in 100 mesothelioma patients.  Sugarbaker and his team found that the prognostic value of these 11 CT features is on a par with peritoneal cancer index (PCI) and cytoreduction (CC) score. It means that CT findings could become even more important for mesothelioma treatment planning.  CT Scans Reveal Information About Peritoneal Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs on the lining around the abdomen. It is an aggressive and hard-to-treat cancer caused by exposure to asbestos….

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    Mesothelioma-Related Weight Loss: Synthetic Cannabinoid Might Help

    ByAlex Strauss

    The first patient has been treated in the trial of a new drug that might help people suffering from mesothelioma-related weight loss. The drug is a synthetic cannabinoid called ART27.13. A cannabinoid is a compound that acts on the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the endocannabinoid system. There are a number of cannabinoid drugs on the market. But several of them have significant side effects, including effects on the brain.  Preclinical data on ART27.13 suggest that it may stimulate the appetite and counter mesothelioma-related weight loss with fewer unwanted side effects. The Cancer Appetite Recovery Study (CAReS) is a Phase I trial to test it in people. The Danger of Mesothelioma-Related Weight Loss Over 60 percent of late-stage cancer patients…

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    Triple-Modality Therapy May Improve Mesothelioma Outcomes, Study Suggests

    ByAlex Strauss

    A Canadian study suggests that triple-modality therapy with radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and surgery may extend the lives of people with malignant pleural mesothelioma.  Pleural mesothelioma is an intractable cancer with a poor prognosis. It mainly affects people who have lived or worked around asbestos.  There is no cure for mesothelioma. People who have the best mesothelioma outcomes usually have a combination of treatments.  Now, scientists at Toronto General Hospital’s Research Institute say a triple-modality therapy they tested in mice might have the power to extend human lives, too. Multi-modal Mesothelioma Treatment Pleural mesothelioma is a fast-growing cancer that starts on the membrane around the lungs. Many mesothelioma patients die less than a year after diagnosis.  There is no single accepted treatment…

  • Catheter Tract Metastasis Often Overlooked in Mesothelioma Patients

    ByAlex Strauss

    A Canadian study says radiologists often overlook catheter tract metastasis in people with pleural mesothelioma, even though as many as a quarter of patients with pleural catheters develop the problem.  Mesothelioma patients can develop excess fluid around the lungs that makes it hard to breathe. Doctors can treat the problem with pleural catheters that stay in place and drain to the outside.  But tiny tumors that spring up along the tract where the catheter was inserted are a risk with this treatment. These tiny tumors are called metastatic tumors. They are easy to miss on CT scans. But the new report says there are other tell-tale signs of catheter tract metastasis. Pleural Catheters for Effusion in Mesothelioma Pleural effusion is…

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    Long-Term Mesothelioma Survival With Immunotherapy Combination

    ByAlex Strauss

    An immunotherapy combination of tremelimumab and durvalumab has resulted in long-term survival for some mesothelioma patients in a new follow-up Italian study.  Tremelimumab and durvalumab (Imfinzi) received orphan drug designation from the FDA last year for liver cancer. Now, it looks like this immunotherapy combination could help some people with the rare asbestos cancer, too.  Mesothelioma patients who had the best results in the new study were those with a high number of mutated genes. Mesothelioma is often fatal within a year. But the longest-living patient in the study survived for more than 41 months.  Immunotherapy Combination Blocks Key Proteins White blood cells have the power to help combat mesothelioma. But a protein called CTLA-4 can block that ability. Tremelimumab…

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    Canadian Study Highlights Occupational Mesothelioma Risk

    ByAlex Strauss

    A new study of more than 2 million Canadian workers is shining a spotlight on the occupational mesothelioma risk from asbestos exposure in several industries. The study included data on 2.18 million workers in the Occupational Disease Surveillance System (ODSS). These workers were employed from 1983 to 2014. The researchers followed the workers for years to see how many of them developed mesothelioma or a chronic lung disease called asbestosis.  They compiled the data on which industries had the most diagnoses. The results paint a sobering picture of the occupational mesothelioma risk to thousands of industrial workers. Asbestos and the Link to Mesothelioma Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that occurs naturally in the soil in many parts of the world….

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    Genetic Links to Mesothelioma Illustrated in New Interactive Model

    ByAlex Strauss

    An interactive model of protein interactions could reveal new genetic links to mesothelioma and even lead to new treatments.  The model is the brainchild of researchers in the US and India. It is a map of the thousands of protein-to-protein interactions that govern how mesothelioma cells develop, thrive, and spread.  Understanding the genetic links to mesothelioma is key to understanding who gets the disease and who does not. It is also crucial for developing new therapies aimed at manipulating the way mesothelioma cells use certain proteins.  Proteins Govern Cellular Functions Mesothelioma is a cancer of the membranes around organs. Asbestos is the main cause of mesothelioma worldwide. But only a small percentage of people who are exposed to asbestos go…

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    Could an Inhaled Vaccine Help Prevent Mesothelioma?

    ByAlex Strauss

    Research at MIT suggests that an inhaled vaccine may trigger a strong immune response against infections and even cancer in the lungs. The findings could be good news for people at risk for the rare lung-related cancer, pleural mesothelioma.  Lung infections often start on mucosal membranes. So researchers developed a vaccine that binds to a protein in mucus. When they immunized mice in a way that mimics an inhaled vaccine, their lungs produced many T-cells. T-cells are immune system cells that can help fight infections and cancer.  Pleural mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. Right now, there is no way to vaccinate against it and no cure. If an inhaled vaccine could bring more T-cells to the lungs of…

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    CRS/HIPEC Procedure Has Improved Over Time, Study Finds

    ByAlex Strauss

    A new French study contains some good news for people considering the CRS/HIPEC procedure for peritoneal mesothelioma.  The CRS/HIPEC procedure combines surgical resection with localized chemotherapy. Its aim is to remove or destroy as many mesothelioma cells as possible in the abdomen.  French researchers studied the evolution of the procedure over time. They discovered that it has improved. As a result, people with peritoneal cancers like malignant mesothelioma are living longer.  Cytoreductive Surgery for Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma causes tumors on the peritoneal membrane that lines the abdomen. Like other forms of mesothelioma, the cause is usually asbestos exposure.  Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) is an operation to remove tumors from the abdomen. Mesothelioma tumors may be confined to the peritoneal membrane, or…

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    Waiting for Medicare Coverage Could Impact Mesothelioma Survival

    ByAlex Strauss

    People who suspect they may have cancer but wait to get a diagnosis until they are eligible for Medicare coverage could negatively impact their ability to survive mesothelioma.  That is the message from a new Stanford study. The study suggests that many people wait until they are 65 to seek cancer care.  For people with a fast-growing cancer like mesothelioma, delaying diagnosis by waiting for Medicare coverage could have devastating consequences.  Early Mesothelioma Diagnosis Key to Survival Malignant pleural mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. It is one of the most deadly types of cancer. Like most cancers, the chances of surviving mesothelioma are higher the earlier it is diagnosed.  But mesothelioma is not…