Diagnosing Mesothelioma
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Diagnosing Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A panel of just three antibodies is highly sensitive at distinguishing mesothelioma from other cancers, according to a study in the February 2009 issue of Pathology. The authors of the study say that using this type of small antibody panel could help reduce the time and cost associated with diagnosing mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is among the deadliest of cancers; the average patient survives just one year after diagnosis. Making a timely and accurate diagnosis is crucial to help doctors determine a patient’s prognosis, identify the best treatment approach, and get patients compensated in legal claims related to asbestos-related mesothelioma, says Sonja Klebe, MD, PhD, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anatomical Pathology at Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide, Australia. Mesothelioma is often…

Over Forty Clinical Trials for Mesothelioma
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Over Forty Clinical Trials for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Mesothelioma is still a difficult cancer to treat. Today, there are at least 42 active clinical trials for mesothelioma, each trying to demonstrate a better treatment outcome than standard therapies. While there are still trials of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery, today the emphasis is on newer therapies that can better target the tumor cells instead of indiscriminately harming cancer and healthy cells alike. These better targeted therapies go by different names depending on the type and include terms like: anti-cytokine, antiangiogenesis, enzyme inhibitor therapy, kinase inhibitor therapy, gene therapy, biological therapy, and immune therapy. As of March 2009 there were at least sixteen trials of these newer therapies plus eight combination regimes of a newer therapy and chemotherapy and another…

New Mesothelioma Study Results
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New Mesothelioma Study Results

ByAlex Strauss

Between August 2001 and July 2002, a total of 42 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) were enrolled in a Phase I study that involved extrapleural pneumonectomy (EPP) and intraoperative hyperthermic cisplatin (IOHC). IOHC is heated cisplatin that is delivered into the cavity created during surgery when the mesothelioma and associated organs are removed. Intravenous administration of the drug amifostine was also used to try to ameliorate the cisplatin-induced renal toxicity. During thoracotomy, 13 patients were found to have unresectable disease and 29 patients had their MPM resected to smaller than 1 centimeter. Of the latter group, there were 22 men and 7 women patients, with a median age of 57 years. Here are the results of the study: Overall…

Mesothelioma and Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy
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Mesothelioma and Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

ByAlex Strauss

Combining aggressive surgery with chemotherapy delivered directly into the abdominal cavity may significantly extend survival in patients with peritoneal mesothelioma, according to a consensus statement of peritoneal mesothelioma specialists published in the September 15 issue of the Journal of Surgical Oncology. Reaching a consensus on the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma—a cancer that affects the abdominal lining—has been difficult for doctors, because the disease progresses so quickly and conventional treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy have done little in the past to stall its progress and improve survival. However, new therapies are showing great promise, and are vastly improving the outlook for patients with this cancer. Among the most promising of these therapies is combining aggressive surgery to remove as much…

Mesothelioma Support Groups
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Mesothelioma Support Groups

ByAlex Strauss

Taking part in a support group can help relieve the stress of the illness for both mesothelioma patients and their families, according to a study in the September 12 issue of the European Journal of Cancer Care. Yet the support needs of this population are not being met, say the authors. “There is little research in mesothelioma generally, but particularly regarding the patient experience of living with the disease,” says Sally Moore, MSC, BSC, RN, lung cancer nurse specialist at the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey, England. “Our care pathways are largely those in place for lung cancer – we haven’t teased out needs that are specific to mesothelioma.” Support is particularly important to mesothelioma patients, who often…

New Mesothelioma Databank
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New Mesothelioma Databank

ByAlex Strauss

Mesothelioma is one of the hardest cancers to treat—and one of the most challenging for researchers to investigate. Now a virtual bank is providing researchers with an invaluable tool for studying this disease, according to a report published in the August 13 issue of BMC Cancer. Researchers are constantly searching for new ways to diagnose mesothelioma earlier, and to find better therapies than the limited options that currently exist. However, because malignant mesothelioma is relatively rare (2,000 to 3,000 cases are diagnosed in the United States each year), it’s often difficult for investigators who are at facilities scattered throughout the country to get the resources they need for their research. To help, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in…

Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Staging

Mesothelioma Diagnosis and Staging

ByAlex Strauss

Mesothelioma is one of the most difficult cancers to treat, but improved diagnostic methods and the right combination of treatments can help extend patients’ lives, according to a report published online August 29 in Current Treatment Options in Oncology. Diagnosing mesothelioma has historically been challenging, because the symptoms can mimic those of other conditions, particularly adenocarcinoma of the lung. Today, immunohistochemical staining and other newer tests are helping doctors more accurately diagnose patients they suspect of having mesothelioma. According to the report, the optimal diagnostic procedure is thoracoscopy, which uses a long, thin tube with a camera attached to view the lungs and take a sample of tissue (biopsy). Computerized tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans can also be…

Mesothelioma Treatment Research
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Mesothelioma Treatment Research

ByAlex Strauss

Mesothelioma treatment today is basically made up three options: surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. More targeted therapies that address the biological factors triggering mesothelioma growth might be a much more precise and effective way to combat this difficult-to-treat cancer, according to a recent article in Connective Tissue Research. Mesothelioma is so challenging to treat because it is often diagnosed at a late stage, and because it can take many biological forms. Current mesothelioma treatments were originally designed for other types of cancers, without considering factors that may be specific to mesothelioma. That may be why many patients only partially respond to treatment, and the average survival is just 12 months after diagnosis. The key to prolonging the lives of mesothelioma patients…

Mesothelioma and the Spread of Asbestos
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Mesothelioma and the Spread of Asbestos

ByAlex Strauss

Though it has been shut down for more than a decade, a mine in Libby, Montana is still raising health concerns for asbestos-contaminated ore it once shipped to hundreds of sites across the country. A report published in the June issue of Inhalation Toxicology finds that people living in several of the communities surrounding the ore processing sites may have a higher incidence of mesothelioma and other cancers. From the time it opened in the early1920s, the Libby mine processed vermiculite ore. Though it was useful for insulation, fireproofing materials, and lawn and garden products, the mineral contained a type of asbestos, which has been linked to an increased risk of various lung disorders, including asbestosis (scarring of lung tissue), mesothelioma, and lung cancer….

Mesothelioma and Children
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Mesothelioma and Children

ByAlex Strauss

When people think of mesothelioma, they typically picture an older adult who has been exposed to asbestos. Yet this disease can, in rare cases, also strike children. Because the prognosis is poor, doctors need to carefully diagnose mesothelioma in their youngest patients. Doctors don’t know what causes mesothelioma in children. Although a high number of adults with the disease have a history of asbestos exposure, this isn’t the case in children. “The latent period of asbestos exposure in mesothelioma patients can be many years,” explains Cesar A. Moran, MD, professor of Pathology in the Department of Pathology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. “Children have not lived long enough to be in that ballpark.” Dr. Moran and his colleagues recently…