Author: Alex Strauss

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    Repeated Mesothelioma Surgeries Credited with Japanese Man’s Survival

    ByAlex Strauss

    Can repeated mesothelioma surgeries extend peritoneal mesothelioma survival? A new case report out of Japan suggests the answer may be yes.  The article recounts the case of a patient with peritoneal mesothelioma. Each time surgeons removed a mesothelioma tumor, a new one would occur in a different location.  The man had four separate mesothelioma surgeries over the course of five years.  Repeated mesothelioma surgeries are not the norm. But this treatment approach may be the reason for the man’s unusually long mesothelioma survival.  Surgical Treatment of Peritoneal Mesothelioma Peritoneal mesothelioma accounts for about 20 percent of mesothelioma cases in the US each year. It occurs on the membrane that surrounds the abdominal organs. Because it sits so close to these…

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    Can Yogurt and Fiber Reduce Mesothelioma Risk?

    ByAlex Strauss

    The findings of a new lung cancer study suggest that eating yogurt and fiber might help reduce mesothelioma risk.  The study in JAMA Oncology involved more than 1.4 lung cancer patients from around the world.  Researchers assessed the results of 10 dietary studies between 2017 and 2019. They found a “synergistic association” between eating fiber and yogurt and a lower risk of lung cancer.  Pleural mesothelioma is a lung-related cancer with many of the same characteristics as lung cancer. It is possible that the same dietary habits might reduce mesothelioma risk, too.  The Yin and Yang of an Anti-Cancer Diet The lung cancer researchers did not choose to study yogurt and fiber randomly. Dietary fiber is the main source of…

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    Pleural Mesothelioma Staging: These Overlooked Lymph Nodes Might Help

    ByAlex Strauss

    An often-ignored set of lymph nodes behind the ribs could help make pleural mesothelioma staging more accurate and valuable.  Staging is the process of determining how advanced a patient’s cancer is. It involves looking at various different factors and assigning a rating between 0 and 4. A higher stage indicates more extensive cancer. A new report suggests that the posterior intercostal lymph nodes behind the ribs play a more important role in pleural mesothelioma staging than previously thought. Mesothelioma patients with cancer in these nodes lived half as long as other mesothelioma patients.  Researchers in Maryland and Pennsylvania say removing and examining these nodes may lead to more accurate staging, more informed treatment decisions, and better outcomes.   How Lymph Nodes…

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    Mesothelioma Clinical Trials: Study Highlights Challenges for Patients

    ByAlex Strauss

    A new UK study points to some of the potential challenges and benefits for patients involved in mesothelioma clinical trials.  Researchers at three teaching hospitals in England interviewed mesothelioma patients who took part in the Mesothelioma and Radical Surgery (MARS 2) trial.  The trial compared outcomes in people who had a combination of surgery and chemotherapy with those who only had chemotherapy. The findings show that not all aspects of mesothelioma clinical trials are positive for patients.  A Study Within a Study Pleural mesothelioma is a fast-growing cancer that starts on the lining around the lungs. Asbestos exposure is usually the cause. With standard cancer treatments, most mesothelioma patients face a poor prognosis. Mesothelioma often leads to death within a…

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    Talcum Powder Can Cause Mesothelioma New Study Shows

    ByAlex Strauss

    A prestigious medical journal has published the strongest evidence yet that asbestos-tainted talcum powder can cause mesothelioma.  The new article appears in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. It involved 33 mesothelioma patients. In every case, each patient’s only known exposure to asbestos was through talcum powder.  In six cases, researchers went a step further to find asbestos fibers in the tissue samples.  “Asbestos of the type found in talcum powder was found in all six cases evaluated,” reports lead researcher Jacqueline Moline, MD. Dr. Moline is a professor and researcher at Hofstra University School of Medicine in New York.  Since there was no other way for these patients to have come in contact with asbestos, Moline and her…

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    Biphasic Mesothelioma Survival Possible in Select Patients

    ByAlex Strauss

    A new report contains some hopeful news about biphasic mesothelioma survival.  Biphasic mesothelioma is the rarest subtype of a rare cancer. It is also the subtype that is hardest to treat.  Biphasic mesothelioma survival is typically shorter than other subtypes. But Italian researchers say, with the right combination of mesothelioma treatments, patients with this subtype can achieve long-term survival. Subtypes and their Impact on Biphasic Mesothelioma Survival All pleural mesothelioma tumors grow on the membrane that surrounds the lungs. When this membrane is healthy, it is flexible and expands naturally with each breath.  When a mesothelioma tumor grows on this membrane, it can restrict the lungs and make it hard to breathe. As tumors grow, mesothelioma can spread to other…

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    Machine Learning Tool May Predict Mesothelioma Survival Better Than Pathologists

    ByAlex Strauss

    The developers of a machine learning tool called MesoNet say the program can predict mesothelioma survival better than a pathologist. MesoNet is a deep convolutional neural network. It analyzes digitized images of mesothelioma cells to predict overall survival. In a new article in Nature Medicine, its creators compared the machine learning tool with pathologist-read slides. Then they validated MesoNet with two different sets of mesothelioma patients.  The result may offer a new, more accurate approach to mesothelioma treatment planning.  What is a Machine Learning Tool? A machine learning tool is a computer program that gets “smarter” the more it runs. A deep convolutional neural network is a type of machine learning tool that analyzes images. The more images it analyzes,…

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    Financial Stress Could Impact Mesothelioma Quality of Life

    ByAlex Strauss

    Financial stress during treatment is likely to have an impact on both quality of life and outcomes for pleural mesothelioma patients.  That finding comes from a recent Johns Hopkins study of patients with newly-diagnosed lung cancer.  The study found that cancer patients who were under financial strain had decreased quality of life. The report appears in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology. It includes a list of guidelines to help identify patients at risk for “financial toxicity”.  The Financial Burden of Mesothelioma Treatment Cancer treatment is rarely inexpensive. Thanks to advances in mesothelioma therapies, patient outcomes are improving. But the costs of these cutting-edge mesothelioma treatments can be even higher than standard therapies.  John Hopkins researchers wanted to see if…

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    The Pathological Diagnosis of Mesothelioma: New Recommendations

    ByAlex Strauss

    An international team of researchers says it is time to refine the pathological diagnosis of mesothelioma. They are recommending a list of changes they say could make the process more effective. Mesothelioma is a deadly cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Under current pathology guidelines, it falls into just three categories. But the research team says those guidelines do not give doctors enough information. They recommend updates to make the pathological diagnosis of mesothelioma more specific.  Understanding Mesothelioma Pathology Pathologists study body tissue, fluids, and cells that are surgically removed. The pathological diagnosis of mesothelioma involves looking at cells under a microscope. Cells can then be put into a category.  About three quarters of mesothelioma cases are epithelioid. Epithelioid mesothelioma is…

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    Predicting Opioid Addiction in Mesothelioma Patients

    ByAlex Strauss

    New research suggests that it may be possible to predict which mesothelioma patients are at risk for opioid addiction. The research comes from the University of California. Scientists analyzed more than a hundred thousand cancer cases to come up with a list of risk factors for opioid addiction. The information could help doctors select other, less dangerous ways of managing pain in high risk mesothelioma patients.   Mesothelioma Pain and Opioid Addiction Chest pain is a symptom of pleural mesothelioma. People with peritoneal mesothelioma may experience abdominal pain. As the disease progresses or lung fluid builds up, that pain can impact quality of life. Many mesothelioma patients also experience pain after surgery.  Managing pain is a significant part of care for…