Diagnostic Accuracy of Lung Fluid Tests for Mesothelioma
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Diagnostic Accuracy of Lung Fluid Tests for Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

Researchers in Germany say the diagnostic accuracy of lung fluid tests for mesothelioma is high enough that they can be routinely used for diagnosis.  Right now, if mesothelioma is suspected, doctors may order a fluid test first. If the fluid test (cytology) is positive, the doctor usually orders a tissue biopsy (histology) to confirm.  But the German team says their study shows that the diagnostic accuracy of cytology is almost as good as histology for mesothelioma – especially when doctors consider the patient’s hyaluronic acid level, too. Scientists from several German institutions analyzed cytology tests from more than 4,500 suspected cases of pleural mesothelioma. They conclude that cytology is accurate enough to be used routinely for diagnosis.  The Importance of…

Aussie Campaign Warns of Mesothelioma Risk for Homeowners
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Aussie Campaign Warns of Mesothelioma Risk for Homeowners

ByAlex Strauss

An ad campaign launched by Australia’s top asbestos awareness organization has issued a warning about the mesothelioma risk for homeowners doing renovations.  Asbestos is the number one cause of mesothelioma around the world. Australia has a long history with both asbestos and mesothelioma. The country banned asbestos in 2003 but there is still plenty of it around. Thousands of homes and buildings built before 1990 contain asbestos.  There is a mesothelioma risk for homeowners who come in contact with this asbestos. Mesothelioma is an aggressive and deadly cancer that can kill within months of diagnosis.  If people remodel or attempt renovations without having their home checked for asbestos first, the campaign says they are playing “renovation roulette” with their lives. …

Drug Reation May Predict Mesothelioma Immunotherapy Results
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Drug Reation May Predict Mesothelioma Immunotherapy Results

ByAlex Strauss

Patients who have more serious reactions to the drug nivolumab tend to have better mesothelioma immunotherapy results than those who have little or no reaction.  That is the finding of a new study from Japan’s Tokushima University.  Researchers studied the cases of 11 patients treated with nivolumab between 2009 and 2021. They found that the patients who got the sickest from the drug had the best mesothelioma immunotherapy results.  The study’s authors say it’s even more reason to find ways to manage immunotherapy side effects. If patients can work through their worst reactions, more of them might survive mesothelioma.  Nivolumab in Mesothelioma Treatment Nivolumab is an immune checkpoint inhibitor sold under the brand name Opdivo. It is a type of…

Mesothelioma Clinical Trials: Are Minorities Underrepresented?
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Mesothelioma Clinical Trials: Are Minorities Underrepresented?

ByAlex Strauss

The results of a new study from Harvard and Dana Farber Cancer Institute raise the question of whether ethnic minorities are being fairly represented in mesothelioma clinical trials. The study focused on four of the most common types of cancer in the US: breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer.  It looked at demographic data for close to 6,000 people enrolled in precision oncology trials for these cancers. Researchers found that clinical trials tend to favor white and Asian patients over Hispanic and black patients.  The study could have implications for mesothelioma clinical trials of new, tailored treatments.  Precision Oncology and Mesothelioma Clinical Trials Malignant mesothelioma is a challenging cancer to treat. Mesothelioma cells are good at protecting themselves from damaging…

Follow-Up Care for Mesothelioma: What Happens After Treatment?
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Follow-Up Care for Mesothelioma: What Happens After Treatment?

ByAlex Strauss

A new UK study on follow-up care for mesothelioma finds that patients need more continuity, timely information, and more input from their caregivers.  The study focused on three National Health Service facilities in the South of England. Two were secondary care hospitals and the third was a tertiary care center. A tertiary care center has special, high-level expertise in mesothelioma care.  Researchers talked to patients, nurses, caregivers, and members of practice groups called clinical commissioning groups. They used the feedback to develop the UK’s first set of best practices for follow-up care for mesothelioma. They now plan to share these best practices with clinicians across the country to improve after-care for all mesothelioma patients.  The Importance of Follow-Up Care for…

The Role of Asbestos in Mesothelioma Development in Nordic Countries
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The Role of Asbestos in Mesothelioma Development in Nordic Countries

ByAlex Strauss

A new study of pleural mesothelioma in Nordic countries highlights the critical role of asbestos in mesothelioma development.  Asbestos is the primary cause of mesothelioma around the world. There are many statistics on the incidence of mesothelioma in countries that use asbestos. But there is not much information on mesothelioma incidence, mortality, and survival prior to the popularity of asbestos. This makes it difficult to quantify the influence of asbestos in mesothelioma development.  Researchers from the Czech Republic, Germany, Finland and China compiled the new information using the NORDCAN cancer database. The database includes statistics on mesothelioma in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden dating back as far as the 1940s.  Their analysis, published in BMC Cancer, is a sobering reminder…

Sensitizer Could Improve Radiotherapy for Pleural Mesothelioma
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Sensitizer Could Improve Radiotherapy for Pleural Mesothelioma

ByAlex Strauss

A chemical compound that sensitizes cancer cells to radiation could help improve radiotherapy for pleural mesothelioma. Radiotherapy uses ionizing radiation to scramble the DNA of cancer cells. This makes it harder for cells to replicate and form new tumors.  But mesothelioma cells and other hard-to-treat cancers have ways of protecting themselves against radiation-induced DNA damage. The possibility of damaging healthy cells is another limiting factor in radiotherapy for pleural mesothelioma.  Now, a Japanese study of mice shows a new compound called SQAP can enhance the damage to cancer cells from radiation. The researchers are hopeful it could help keep mesothelioma tumors in check. The Challenge of Radiotherapy for Pleural Mesothelioma Malignant pleural mesothelioma is difficult to treat. This aggressive membrane…

Mesothelioma Histology Impacts Response to Chemotherapy
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Mesothelioma Histology Impacts Response to Chemotherapy

ByAlex Strauss

Response to chemotherapy for people with malignant mesothelioma may depend – at least in part – on the histology or subtype of their tumor. That is the finding of a new study from a team of Spanish doctors. The doctors analyzed the cases of 189 pleural mesothelioma patients treated at their hospital between 2002 and 2020.  Their study confirms what other studies have suggested: People with epithelioid tumors have better response to chemotherapy than those with non-epithelioid subtypes. These patients experienced both longer progression-free survival and longer overall survival.  Systemic Treatment for Pleural Mesothelioma The first chemotherapy drug for malignant pleural mesothelioma received FDA approval in 2004. Alimta was the only approved systemic (whole body) treatment for pleural mesothelioma until 2020. …

Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy Shrink Peritoneal Mesothelioma Tumors: New Case Reports
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Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy Shrink Peritoneal Mesothelioma Tumors: New Case Reports

ByAlex Strauss

Two new case reports appear to support the idea that immunotherapy and chemotherapy can work together to fight peritoneal mesothelioma.  The case reports appears in the newest issue of the Journal of Immunotherapy. It details the cases of two patients with malignant peritoneal mesothelioma – a lethal cancer of the lining of the abdomen.  Both patients relapsed on standard platinum-based chemotherapy. But adding an immune checkpoint inhibitor dramatically improved their results. In one case, a patient’s tumor nearly disappeared.  Doctors at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center say the cases suggest that immunotherapy and chemotherapy might offer an alternative for patients who have run out of options.  Alternative Treatments Needed for Peritoneal Mesothelioma About a fifth of patients who…

Chemotherapy Spray Could Make Surgery Possible for More Peritoneal Mesothelioma Patients

Chemotherapy Spray Could Make Surgery Possible for More Peritoneal Mesothelioma Patients

ByAlex Strauss

A technique that turns anti-cancer drugs into a chemotherapy spray could be a breakthrough for some peritoneal mesothelioma patients who were told they were not candidates for surgery.  The procedure is called PIPAC. It stands for pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy. It allows doctors to apply cancer-killing medication directly to the site of peritoneal mesothelioma tumors.  A new French study suggests that the chemotherapy spray, in combination with systemic chemotherapy, can shrink some tumors enough to completely remove them – even if doctors did not initially think resection was possible.  The study tracked several cases of successful surgery after standard chemotherapy and PIPAC. The retrospective study shows patients who had surgery experienced much longer progression-free survival than those who did not. …