Author: Alex Strauss

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    Research Shows Location Impacts Mesothelioma Therapy in Italy

    ByAlex Strauss

    Italian cancer researchers have released new data on how patient location impacts mesothelioma therapy in the country.  Pleural mesothelioma is a rare cancer. Most doctors see very few cases in the course of their careers. This lack of expertise may explain why the preferred treatments vary from one region to the next.  Italy’s Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare led the new research. They analyzed pleural mesothelioma outcomes across the country. The conclusion is that location impacts mesothelioma therapy in Italy because there is not enough sharing of information. Choosing a Mesothelioma Treatment Approach Pleural mesothelioma is challenging to diagnose and even more difficult to treat. Even experienced mesothelioma doctors often struggle to know the best way to approach…

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    Odds of Surviving Mesothelioma Equal in Rural and Urban Australia

    ByAlex Strauss

    Living in a city and having a better socioeconomic status does not necessarily increase the odds of surviving mesothelioma.  That is the message from a 15-year Australian study of more than 300,000 cancer patients.  Some studies suggest cancer survival rates are lower in rural areas. But that does not appear to be the case for mesothelioma in Australia.  Unfortunately, the odds of surviving mesothelioma remain low no matter where a person lives. The Legacy of Asbestos in Australia Australia used to mine and export more asbestos than any other country. The mineral has been banned there since 2003, but Australian mesothelioma rates are still among the highest in the world.  Asbestos fibers are biopersistent. Once they are embedded in the…

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    PD-L1 Expression and Mesothelioma Prognosis

    ByAlex Strauss

    The largest study yet on PD-L1 expression and mesothelioma prognosis shows that patients with more of this protein in their cells have poorer odds of survival. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) helps cancer cells evade immune system attack.  Other studies have suggested a link between PD-L1 expression and mesothelioma prognosis. But the new meta-analysis performed by two Chinese researchers appears to confirm it with an even bigger data set.  Understanding Mesothelioma Prognosis Malignant mesothelioma is an uncommon cancer that typically carries a poor prognosis. Many people diagnosed with mesothelioma lose their lives to the illness within a year.  But there are also many exceptions. Some mesothelioma survivors live for decades after a mesothelioma diagnosis. Australian Paul Kraus is an example….

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    Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer: These Biomarkers Can Tell the Difference

    ByAlex Strauss

    Researchers in Canada say when it comes to distinguishing between mesothelioma and lung cancer, some proteins are more valuable than others.  The team has identified an especially important protein biomarker for mesothelioma. A biomarker is a compound in body fluid or tissue that can act as a signpost for disease.  Understanding the value of this particular protein as compared to other biomarkers may improve the testing process for mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma and lung cancer share many of the same characteristics. Both affect the lungs and both cause similar symptoms. But they are treated differently.  It is not always easy to tell these two cancers apart, even with high-level diagnostic tools. But the biomarker testing completed in Canada may make it…

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    Photoimmunotherapy for Mesothelioma Reduces Tumor Volume in Mice

    ByAlex Strauss

    Japanese researchers testing photoimmunotherapy for mesothelioma say they used the technology to successfully reduce the size of tumors in mice. Scientists at the National Cancer Institute in the US developed near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT). It is a new type of cancer immunotherapy that uses a chemical to make some cells more sensitive to light. When light is directed at these cells, they die. In their new study of photoimmunotherapy for mesothelioma, the Japanese team targeted podoplanin. Podoplanin is a glycoprotein. Many mesothelioma tumors overexpress podoplanin.  Targeting Mesothelioma Tumors with Light Malignant mesothelioma is a fast-growing membrane cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Standard cancer therapies do not work well for mesothelioma. Cancer researchers around the world are looking for alternative treatments.  Immunotherapy…

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    Predicting Kidney Damage from Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma

    ByAlex Strauss

    It may be possible to predict which mesothelioma patients are at risk for kidney damage from chemotherapy and take steps to prevent it.  Japanese cancer researchers have linked a protein called megalin to cisplatin-related nephrotoxicity.  Cisplatin is one of the main drugs used to treat mesothelioma. The researchers say people with more megalin in their urine are more likely to have kidney damage from chemotherapy with cisplatin.  Kidney Damage is a Risk of Chemotherapy Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer with no cure. Although scientists are working on other options, chemotherapy is the main treatment for mesothelioma. Most patients have a combination of Alimta (pemetrexed) and the platinum-based drug cisplatin. One of the biggest risks with cisplatin is kidney damage…

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    Personalized Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma: New Research Sheds Lights

    ByAlex Strauss

    New research conducted by a team of German and Austrian scientists could help make personalized immunotherapy for mesothelioma possible.  Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. Immunotherapy is one of the most promising treatment approaches.  But immunotherapy drugs like Keytruda do not work for all patients. Scientists do not know exactly why this is. The new study suggests that understanding biomarkers could lead to better outcomes through personalized immunotherapy for mesothelioma.  How Does Immunotherapy Work? Immunotherapy is a broad term that means using the patient’s own immune system to fight their cancer. There are many different types of immunotherapy. Some involve stimulating an immune response. Others involve turning off the mechanism that lets mesothelioma cells hide from…

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    Asbestos Cement Factory Still Impacting Lives in Italy

    ByAlex Strauss

    Residents who worked in or lived near an asbestos cement factory in Italy are still suffering the effects of toxic pollution decades later.  Separate studies in two environmental health journals this month highlight the ongoing problem. Both show there are more mesothelioma cases in these regions than in the rest of Italy. This is true even though Italy banned asbestos 30 years ago. One study concentrates on people who worked in an asbestos cement factory. The other focuses on mesothelioma patients whose only exposure was through air pollution near a factory  The Deadly Legacy of Asbestos in Broni The Fibronit asbestos cement company operated plants in Bari and Broni, Italy.  Broni is a town of about 9.000 people. The asbestos…

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    The High Cost of Mesothelioma in Turkey

    ByAlex Strauss

    Researchers in Turkey have released a sobering report on the real cost of mesothelioma in their country.  The article appears in the latest issue of Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health. It details the lives lost to asbestos cancer. It also talks about loss of productivity as a cost of mesothelioma.  Mesothelioma is a rare but virulent cancer that is resistant to most kinds of treatment. Turkey is a hotbed for mesothelioma because of the high levels of cancer-causing minerals in the soil. Some Turkish people also seem to have a higher genetic susceptibility to mesothelioma. This cancer is so common in some parts of Turkey that it is a popular place for mesothelioma research.   Why the Cost of Mesothelioma…

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    Tumor Treating Fields for Mesothelioma Still on Track Amidst COVID-19

    ByAlex Strauss

    The company that developed tumor treating fields for mesothelioma says it is still making, supporting, and studying the device in spite of the global pandemic.  Last month, Novocure even announced a new name for the electricity-based mesothelioma therapy. Tumor treating fields or the NovoTTF-100L System will now go by the brand name Optune Lua.  “Optune Lua is easy to pronounce and remember, and should help patients, caregivers and providers ask for the treatment by name,” says Pritesh Shah, Novocure’s Chief Commercial Officer.  Novocure says they are following all WHO and CDC recommendations to keep producing tumor treating fields for mesothelioma patients who need it.  What is Optune Lua? Tumor treating fields for mesothelioma uses specific frequencies of electric fields to…