Cancer Biomarker Test Could Detect Mesothelioma Earlier
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Cancer Biomarker Test Could Detect Mesothelioma Earlier

ByAlex Strauss

A new cancer biomarker test that promises to identify cancer in patients with “non-specific symptoms” could be the key to detecting mesothelioma earlier.  Malignant mesothelioma is a deadly cancer caused by asbestos. The early symptoms of mesothelioma are usually vague and similar to other conditions. As a result, mesothelioma is frequently diagnosed in a late stage. But a cancer biomarker test developed in the UK could change that. The test looks for small molecules called metabolites in the blood. Its developers say it has the potential to find cancer earlier than other blood-based cancer tests.  Non-Specific Symptoms Make Mesothelioma a Diagnostic Challenge Mesothelioma is a rare cancer. It is most common in people who worked or lived around asbestos in…

Improve Mesothelioma Outcomes with a Fast-Mimicking Diet: Is it Possible?
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Improve Mesothelioma Outcomes with a Fast-Mimicking Diet: Is it Possible?

ByAlex Strauss

New science from Italy suggests that it might eventually be possible to improve mesothelioma outcomes by severely restricting calories during cancer treatment.  The study appears in a recent version of the journal Cancer Discovery. Researchers with Italy’s FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology (IFOM) in Milan tested a fast-mimicking diet in 101 cancer patients.  They concluded that restricting calories is a safe and feasible method for “reshaping metabolism” to impact tumor growth. If further studies confirm their findings, it could improve mesothelioma outcomes for thousands of patients. The Need for Better Mesothelioma Treatments Mesothelioma is a fast-growing and deadly type of cancer. Most people who receive a mesothelioma diagnosis do not live out the year. Malignant mesothelioma grows on the membranes…

Patients Live Twice as Long with Less of this Biomarker for Pleural Mesothelioma
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Patients Live Twice as Long with Less of this Biomarker for Pleural Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

An enzyme that helps mop up the products of cellular oxidation might also serve as a powerful biomarker for pleural mesothelioma. People with the lowest levels of this enzyme  survived longer with mesothelioma than those with higher levels. Glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX-1) is an enzyme found in all cells. It helps keep toxins from building up inside cells. It also helps regulate certain cellular processes.   But there is also evidence that GPX-1 may play a role in the development of cancer. Researchers in Egypt recently discovered that pleural mesothelioma tumors have more GPX-1 than the healthy tissue around them. The less they have, the better the prognosis.  The findings suggest that GPX-1 could be a useful biomarker for pleural mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma…

Genetic Mesothelioma Risk May Lead to Shorter Latency
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Genetic Mesothelioma Risk May Lead to Shorter Latency

ByAlex Strauss

A particular genetic risk for mesothelioma may be behind the few cases where cancer develops just a few years after asbestos exposure. That is the word from researchers at Australia’s Flinders University and the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute.  Latency is the time it takes after exposure to a cancer-causing agent for signs of cancer to show up. Malignant mesothelioma has one of the longest latency periods of any cancer. In most cases, it takes about 40 years for mesothelioma to develop. As a result, mesothelioma is rare in people under 65. But, in rare cases, mesothelioma develops earlier in life. These cases have sometimes been dismissed as being unrelated to asbestos. But in a new journal article, mesothelioma experts from…

Expert Says Malignant Mesothelioma Research ‘Turned a Corner’ in 2021
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Expert Says Malignant Mesothelioma Research ‘Turned a Corner’ in 2021

ByAlex Strauss

An internationally-known mesothelioma specialist says 2021 has been one of the best years yet for malignant mesothelioma research, giving patients and their families more reason than ever to be hopeful.  Hedy Lee Kindler, MD, is Director of the University of Chicago Medical Center’s Mesothelioma Program. In a commentary in JCO Oncology Practice, Dr. Kindler says the outlook for mesothelioma sufferers this year is “far brighter than it has been for a very long time.” Dr. Kindler points to several recent advances in malignant mesothelioma research and treatment as reasons for optimism. The FDA approved the second systemic therapy for mesothelioma in late 2020. This year saw five positive mesothelioma clinical trials.  Kindler says these advances suggest that the future may…

Glucose Solution May Prevent Complication After Pleural Mesothelioma Surgery
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Glucose Solution May Prevent Complication After Pleural Mesothelioma Surgery

ByAlex Strauss

There is new evidence that a solution of hypertonic glucose can help correct persistent air leak –  a complication that sometimes occurs after major pleural mesothelioma surgery. Pleural mesothelioma affects the membrane that surrounds the lungs. Efforts to surgically separate a mesothelioma tumor from the surface of the lungs can damage the lungs.  When this damage causes air to seep out of the lungs into the chest cavity, it is an air leak. Some air leaks fix themselves within a few days. But when an air leak persists for more than 5 days, it can cause further complications and slow recovery after pleural mesothelioma surgery.  A team of thoracic oncologists in Milan, Italy say hypertonic glucose can help clear up…

Chemotherapy Still Good First-Line Option for Unresectable Epithelioid Mesothelioma
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Chemotherapy Still Good First-Line Option for Unresectable Epithelioid Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A top mesothelioma expert says chemotherapy may still be the best first-line treatment for unresectable epithelioid mesothelioma, even though immunotherapy is an increasingly popular option. Chemotherapy has been the primary way to treat mesothelioma since 2004. This is when the FDA approved the drug Alimta (pemetrexed). Alimta remained the only systemic treatment for asbestos cancer until 2020. In 2020, the FDA approved a combination of the immunotherapy drugs ipilimumab (Yervoy) and nivolumab (Opdivo). But Dean Fennell, PhD, of the UK’s University of Leicester says chemotherapy is still a good choice for many unresectable epithelioid mesothelioma cases. A Better Version of Chemotherapy? Epithelioid mesothelioma is the most common subtype. It is also the most responsive to treatment. For the healthiest patients,…

New Mesothelioma Grading System: A Better Path to Prognosis?
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New Mesothelioma Grading System: A Better Path to Prognosis?

ByAlex Strauss

A team of Australian researchers have developed a new mesothelioma grading system they believe is a more accurate method for predicting outcomes. The system assigns weighted scores based on things like mesothelioma subtype, the shape of the nuclei, BAP1 loss and other parameters. A higher score suggests the patient’s mesothelioma case may be more challenging to treat. Tests of the system in more than 350 patients show that it is highly accurate.  The team lays out their new mesothelioma grading system in a recent issue of the American Journal of Surgical Pathology. In the article, they make the case for why this new prognostic tool could be a helpful supplement to the current, more widely-used WHO system.  The Importance of…

Mesothelioma Patient Registry May Finally Be a Reality
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Mesothelioma Patient Registry May Finally Be a Reality

ByAlex Strauss

The United States may finally get a mesothelioma patient registry to help collect and track vital information about this deadly disease.  New York Congressman John Katko has reintroduced a bill he first brought before Congress six years ago. The Mary Jo Lawyer Spano Mesothelioma Patient Registry Act would establish the first national registry for asbestos cancer.  Registries like this exist for many other kinds of cancer. But malignant mesothelioma is very rare. This makes it even harder for doctors and scientists to access the information they need to understand and treat this cancer.  Experts from the CDC, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and several top US cancer centers have been calling for a mesothelioma patient registry…

Pleural Mesothelioma Risk Among Workers May Be Higher in Winter
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Pleural Mesothelioma Risk Among Workers May Be Higher in Winter

ByAlex Strauss

A leading authority in the occupational health and safety space is warning workers to be aware that their pleural mesothelioma risk may be higher in the winter. The website Occupational Health & Safety says winter is a prime season for exposure to toxins like asbestos that can threaten respiratory health. Asbestos is the primary cause of malignant pleural mesothelioma worldwide. In a new online article, the site says the combination of dry air, colds and allergies, closed up work spaces, and poor ventilation can increase the risk for serious respiratory diseases.  Why Winter Can Be Dangerous for Workers Although anyone can get malignant mesothelioma, it is usually considered an occupational disease. People in certain kinds of jobs face a much…