Author: Alex Strauss

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    Mesothelioma Staging: Laparoscopy May Find Tumors PET-CT Misses

    ByAlex Strauss

    Cancer researchers at Baylor College of Medicine say diagnostic laparoscopy (DL) improves the accuracy of pleural mesothelioma staging prior to surgery. It is especially valuable for patients with cancer in both the chest and abdomen. Staging is a way for doctors to determine how widespread cancer is. Accurate staging is critical for the best surgical outcomes. For the right patients, mesothelioma surgery can be a life saver.  Many mesothelioma patients undergo PET/CT as part of the staging process. But the Baylor study suggests that adding a tool called a laparoscope to the process may find tumors that PET-CT misses. What is Mesothelioma Staging? Malignant mesothelioma is a type of cancer that grows on internal membranes. It usually occurs on the…

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    Focused Radiation After Chemotherapy May Improve Mesothelioma Survival

    ByAlex Strauss

    New research suggests that mesothelioma patients who have focused radiation after chemotherapy may live longer with slower disease progression than those who have other therapy combinations. Researchers used two kinds of focused radiotherapy (FRT) in the study. One was stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) and the other was hypo-fractionated radiotherapy. Both treatments deliver a deadly dose of radiation into tumors while sparing normal tissue.  Italian researchers say giving focused radiation after chemotherapy makes it even more effective against mesothelioma that is not yet widespread.  Radiotherapy for Pleural Mesothelioma Radiotherapy is one of several possible treatments for mesothelioma. Most patients start with chemotherapy. But chemotherapy has limited effectiveness. Increasingly, researchers are looking for other approaches to combat mesothelioma.  Most patients get the…

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    Long-Term Mesothelioma Survival: Follow-up is Critical

    ByAlex Strauss

    A newly published French case report is a reminder that long-term mesothelioma survival requires long-term follow-up. The case comes from Aix-Marseille University in Marseille. In the Annals of Medicine and Surgery, doctors wrote about a man who survived mesothelioma for 14 years. In all that time, his cancer did not progress. The situation is unusual for mesothelioma. The life expectancy of most mesothelioma patients is about 18 months. Prolonged survival is two years or more. But the authors of the new report say their case shows that long-term mesothelioma survival is not impossible with the right approach. Treatment for Malignant Mesothelioma Malignant mesothelioma usually occurs in people who have lived or worked around asbestos. Many do not know they have…

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    New Cancer Blood Test: Could it Find Early Mesothelioma?

    ByAlex Strauss

    Researchers in England are testing a new cancer blood test that promises to reveal the presence of hard-to-find cancers like mesothelioma earlier. The country’s National Health Service will offer the test to 165,000 UK residents next year as part of a clinical trial.  “Early detection, particularly for hard to treat conditions like ovarian and pancreatic cancer, has the potential to save many lives,” NHS England’s’ chief executive Simon Stevens told The Guardian newspaper. “This promising blood test could therefore be a gamechanger in cancer care, helping thousands more people to get successful treatment.” If the trial of the new cancer blood test is successful, it could be available to help detect mesothelioma within a few years.  The Challenge of Identifying…

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    Evening Primrose Extract Acts on Invasive Mesothelioma Cells, Study Shows

    ByAlex Strauss

    There is new evidence that compounds found in the seeds of the evening primrose plant have the potential to slow the growth and spread of mesothelioma.  Researchers in Poland extracted key compounds from the seeds using alcohol. They applied the extract (EPE) to malignant pleural mesothelioma cells in the lab.  Evening primrose extract seemed to have the biggest effect on the most invasive mesothelioma cells. The more EPE the researchers used, the greater the impact. The study suggests there may be a future role for evening primrose in mesothelioma therapy. What is Evening Primrose? The evening primrose is a plant with yellow flowers. Its seeds contain a range of polyphenols including ellagic acid, gallic acid, and catechin.  Oil extracted from…

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    Gene Editing Technology May Hold the Key to Curing Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    New research on gene editing technology for cancer suggests that it could be the key to one day curing intractable cancers like malignant mesothelioma. Researchers at Tel Aviv University have used a technology called CRISPR to dramatically extend the lives of mice with some of the most serious kinds of cancer.  Gene editing technology alters the genes of cancer cells so they cannot replicate. The Israeli team found a way to make it target cancer cells.   It could be the breakthrough that many mesothelioma doctors have been hoping for.  Genes and Mesothelioma The genetic material inside a person’s cells determines how those cells will behave. Genes encode for proteins which give signals to cells. Gene editing technology aims to change…

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    New Cancer Vaccine Might Help Resistant Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    Researchers at Harvard are developing a new cancer vaccine. Preliminary data suggest that it might work just as well as more complex and time-consuming personalized mesothelioma therapies.  Mesothelioma immunotherapy is a focus for researchers around the world. But this kind of treatment can take a long time to develop. And there is no single therapy that works for every patient.  The new cancer vaccine would combine chemotherapy and a more generic kind of immunotherapy. This approach has the potential to help mesothelioma patients who do not respond to standard treatments.  How Does Mesothelioma Immunotherapy Work? Immunotherapy is one element of the proposed new cancer vaccine. Immunotherapy fights cancers like mesothelioma by manipulating the immune system.  Some kinds of mesothelioma immunotherapy…

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    P16 Test May Improve Diagnostic Accuracy for Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    Scientists in the UK say testing for a tumor suppressor protein called p16 can improve diagnostic accuracy for mesothelioma. It may also help predict which patients are likely to have the best treatment response. The p16 protein is encoded by the CDKN2A gene. Many people with mesothelioma are missing this gene.  Previous studies show a lack of p16 may be linked to lower cancer survival. Now, researchers in Manchester say it should be added to routine tests to improve prognostic and diagnostic accuracy for mesothelioma. The Challenge of Diagnostic Accuracy for Mesothelioma It is not easy to diagnose mesothelioma. There is no single test that can show if a person has this cancer. Diagnosis usually involves blood tests, imaging studies,…

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    CAR T-Cell Therapy for Mesothelioma in New Phase I Trial

    ByAlex Strauss

    Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York are about to try a new kind of CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma in human patients.  This is the first Phase I trial of the new CAR T-cell approach. The therapy involves removing some of a patient’s T-cells, modifying them, and giving them back to fight cancer.  The new CAR T-cell therapy for mesothelioma involves cells that have been modified in new ways. They still seek out cancer cells. But these CAR T-cells are made to last longer and to undermine a primary mesothelioma cell defense mechanism. The FDA approved the study in September. Memorial Sloan Kettering is recruiting mesothelioma patients for it now.  T-Cells That Target Mesothelioma Cells CART T-cell therapy…

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    Smartphone Monitoring System Helps Manage Mesothelioma Symptoms

    ByAlex Strauss

    A new study shows a system that connects doctors and patients via smartphone may make it easier to manage mesothelioma symptoms.  Mesothelioma tumors grow quickly on the membrane around the lungs. Mesothelioma patients tend to have many physical symptoms.  Researchers in the UK tested a mesothelioma-specific version of a symptom management system. Their study shows patients felt better with easier access to a doctor to help them manage mesothelioma symptoms.  Symptoms of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of asbestos cancer. As tumors grow, the pleural membrane becomes less pliable. This makes it harder for the lungs to expand. The space around the lungs can also fill up with fluid (pleural effusions) as the body tries…