Author: Alex Strauss

Asia | Biomarkers | Diagnosis | International | New Studies | Research | Scans

Mesothelioma Biomarker Test May Be Diagnostic Alternative for Frail Patients
ByAlex Strauss October 14, 2017

A set of proteins found in the lung fluid of people with malignant pleural mesothelioma may offer a safer way to diagnose the asbestos cancer in frail or elderly patients. Mesothelioma is an extremely difficult cancer to diagnose. Accurate diagnosis usually requires a combination of tests including a physical exam, a thorough work history (including possible asbestos exposure), blood or lung fluid tests, imaging scans, and a biopsy. But not all mesothelioma patients are able to tolerate an invasive procedure such as a thoracoscopy to obtain a tissue sample. For these patients especially, an accurate blood or lung fluid test could be lifesaving. Protein Biomarkers for Mesothelioma Diagnosis Researchers in Japan recently evaluated the diagnostic value of two types of…

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Chemotherapy | Europe | International | New Studies | Research | Symptoms | Treatments | Updates

New Chemotherapy Technique Carries Risks for Peritoneal Mesothelioma Patients
ByAlex Strauss October 12, 2017

A new way of delivering chemotherapy drugs to the site of a peritoneal mesothelioma tumor has some unique benefits, but can also be risky. The technique, called pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC) allows doctors to “spray” a solution of chemotherapy drugs directly onto peritoneal tumors through small ports in the abdomen. The intention is to uniformly coat the tumor and help keep chemotherapy drugs in contact with malignant mesothelioma or other peritoneal cancer cells for as long as possible. Testing PIPAC for Unresectable Mesothelioma The PIPAC technique is being pioneered in Europe. In a new French study, doctors tested it in 73 patients who had peritoneal mesothelioma or metastatic colorectal, gastric, or ovarian cancer on the peritoneal membrane lining the…

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Alternatives | Europe | Holistic | International | New Studies | Research | Symptoms | Treatments | Updates

Mesothelioma Patients May Benefit from ‘Aesthetic Support’
ByAlex Strauss October 9, 2017

When it comes to coping with the treatment and side effects of a cancer like malignant mesothelioma, looks matter – especially to female patients. That is the message of a new Italian study on the impact of an “aesthetic care” program for hospitalized cancer patients. The objective of the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, was to evaluate a support program called “Health in the Mirror”, that provides various “aesthetic interventions” to help cancer patients feel better about their bodies during cancer treatment. How Does Mesothelioma Change the Body? Cancer can have a significant impact not only on how patients with mesothelioma or other cancers feel, but also on how they look. Mesothelioma patients may lose weight. Patients…

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Updates

Diagnosing Mesothelioma with BAP1 Testing: Does it Work?
ByAlex Strauss October 7, 2017

Tests for the presence or absence of the BAP1 tumor-suppressor protein are likely to continue to play a pivotal role in the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. A new evaluation of worldwide studies including more than 1,800 mesothelioma patients found that people who were missing the BAP1 protein almost always had mesothelioma, while those whose cells were still producing BAP1 were not necessarily in the clear. Understanding BAP1 The BRCA1 associated protein 1 (BAP1) gene is responsible for producing a protein (BAP1) that helps suppress the growth of mesothelioma tumors. In some people, the BAP1 gene is mutated, leading to a loss of production of the BAP1 protein. This is known as BAP1 cancer syndrome. People with the BAP1 cancer syndrome…

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Alternatives | Holistic | New Studies | Prevention | Research

Mesothelioma Survivors May Not Have Enough Knowledge of Nutrition
ByAlex Strauss October 4, 2017

New evidence suggests that too many long-term survivors of malignant mesothelioma and other cancers may not be following the dietary guidelines that could keep them healthy for a lifetime. Researchers from Johns Hopkins and Drexel University recently analyzed the diets of 53 adult cancer survivors and found that many are not adequately prepared to follow a cancer-preventing diet indefinitely. Mesothelioma Survival and DIet Multiple studies point to the value of a diet high in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables as a way to prevent cancer or to support the body during aggressive treatment for a cancer such as malignant mesothelioma. The lifestyles of long-term survivors like Paul Kraus, the Australian man who recently celebrated 20 years of survival from peritoneal…

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Biomarkers | Chemotherapy | Diagnosis | Europe | International | New Drugs | Prognosis | Treatments

New Biomarker Could Help Eradicate Mesothelioma Resistance to Chemotherapy
ByAlex Strauss September 30, 2017

Researchers in the Netherlands have unveiled what may be a major breakthrough in the chemotherapeutic treatment of malignant mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma, a rare and virulent cancer caused by asbestos exposure, is notoriously resistant to standard cancer treatments, including chemotherapy. Even the only chemotherapy drug specifically approved for the treatment of mesothelioma, Alimta (pemetrexed), only works for some patients. Now, a new study published in the Annals of Oncology suggests that a cellular transporter molecule called the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT) may help explain why. Pemetrexed and Mesothelioma Treatment Approved for the treatment of pleural mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer, pemetrexed is chemically similar to the B vitamin folic acid and is in the class of chemotherapy drugs called folate…

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New Studies | Prognosis | Research | Surgery | Symptoms | Treatments

Sickest Mesothelioma Patients May Benefit Most from P/D Surgery
ByAlex Strauss September 28, 2017

Patients with the worst cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma may stand to gain the most from pleurectomy and decortication (P/D) surgery. That is the conclusion of researchers at the University of Chicago and Loyola University who subjected 114 mesothelioma patients to a quality of life and overall health scoring system both before and after P/D surgery. Considering Mesothelioma Surgery The decision on whether or not to undergo mesothelioma surgery and which type of surgery to have is always a difficult one. P/D surgery is extensive and involves the removal of the diseased pleural lining around the lungs, all or part of the diaphragm, and other at-risk tissues. Although it has been shown to slow the progression of mesothelioma, P/D,…

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Asbestos | Compensation | Legal | Occupations | Statistics

Mesothelioma Report Shows All Types of Asbestos Can Be Lethal
ByAlex Strauss September 26, 2017

A new report from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston confirms what many scientists have long believed – that no type of asbestos is “safe” and that all can lead to malignant mesothelioma. In a study of 62 malignant peritoneal mesothelioma patients published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, the researchers found that more than a quarter of the cases of diffuse peritoneal mesothelioma were linked to chrysotile asbestos alone. The news appears to contradict the argument, made some some companies that mined or used asbestos, that chrysotile asbestos is less deadly than other varieties. Asbestos Varieties and Mesothelioma Asbestos mineral fibers come in several different varieties. The most common is the serpentine-shaped chrysotile or “white” asbestos found…

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Asia | International | Multi-Modality Therapy | New Studies | Research | Surgery | Treatments

Radical Surgery Alone Unlikely to Prolong Mesothelioma Survival
ByAlex Strauss September 24, 2017September 24, 2017

Extrapleural pneumonectomy, the most radical – and risky – type of surgery for malignant pleural mesothelioma, is more likely to lead to long term survival when paired with strategic follow-up treatments. That is the conclusion of researchers at Japan’s Kyushu University who conducted a retrospective study of 10 mesothelioma patients who underwent EPP at their institution between 2001 to 2010. EPP Surgery and Mesothelioma Outcomes EPP surgery is one of two primary types of surgery for pleural mesothelioma. It differs from pleurectomy with decortication (PD) because, in addition to the pleura and all or part of the diaphragm, it involves the removal of a lung. Surgeons around the world are divided over the merits of EPP because it is such…

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Asia | Biomarkers | Diagnosis | Immune Systems | Immunotherapy | International | Prognosis | Research | Treatments

Inflammation Marker May Predict Mesothelioma Prognosis
ByAlex Strauss September 20, 2017March 19, 2019

The ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes – a way of measuring inflammation in the body of people with malignant pleural mesothelioma – may help doctors predict how well they will respond to treatment. That is the conclusion of mesothelioma researchers at China’s Sichuan University. In a new article in the journal Oncotarget, the team observed that NLR has been associated with survival in other types of cancer but it’s value as a prognostic indicator in pleural mesothelioma is still unclear. Neutrophils and Lymphocytes in Mesothelioma Neutrophils are the most abundant type of white blood cells and a key part of the immune system. Lymphocytes are the primary type of white blood cells found in lymph. They include natural killer cells,…

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