Author: Alex Strauss

Asbestos | Australia | Immune Systems | Immunotherapy | International | Mesothelioma | Prognosis | Research | Treatments

MicroRNAs May Be Key to Better Immunotherapy for Mesothelioma
ByAlex Strauss June 23, 2017

Australian scientists say it may be possible to artificially reduce the levels of a protein that helps mesothelioma tumors hide from the immune system. The new research published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology could open the door to more effective immunotherapy treatments for pleural mesothelioma. The Importance of PD-L1 Expression A cell surface protein called PD-L1 is key to the effectiveness of several new immunotherapy drugs including Keytruda (pembrolizumab), Opdivo (nivolumab), and avelumab. An estimated 40 percent of mesothelioma tumors overexpress this protein, which is part of the process that allows several different kinds of cancers to escape detection and attack by the immune system. Now, a new study conducted at the Asbestos Diseases Research Institute at the University of…

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Asbestos | Europe | International | New Studies | Occupations | Research | Statistics

Mesothelioma Risk Continues to Rise for Decades After Asbestos Exposure
ByAlex Strauss June 21, 2017June 21, 2017

A pair of Polish researchers have confirmed what a number of other studies have suggested – that the risk of contracting malignant mesothelioma continues to rise, even decades after a person’s last exposure to asbestos. The study was conducted by asbestos-exposure experts at the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine and included a total of 131 patients with pleural mesothelioma. Another 655 people enrolled in a health surveillance program for asbestos-related diseases between 2000 and 2014 were included as controls. Calculating Mesothelioma Risk When researchers Beata Swiatkowska and Neonila Szeszenia-Debrowska used the data to calculate the odds that asbestos-exposed people would develop malignant mesothelioma, the results were sobering. Instead of declining over time, the chance that an asbestos-exposed worker would receive…

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

The Influence of BAP1 on Mesothelioma Survival
ByAlex Strauss June 19, 2017

A mutation on the BAP1 tumor suppressor gene can influence the development of malignant mesothelioma but may have little bearing on survival. That conclusion comes from a new Chinese study of more than 2,400 people with cancers directly linked to the BAP1 genetic mutation, including pleural mesothelioma. BAP1 and Mesothelioma BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) is a tumor suppressing protein encoded by the BAP1 gene. Multiple studies have confirmed that people with a mutation on the BAP1 tumor suppressor gene are more likely to develop certain kinds of cancer, including malignant mesothelioma. The BAP1 gene helps explain why some people develop mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos exposure while others do not. In addition to mesothelioma, other cancers associated with BAP1 mutation include…

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Chemotherapy | Multi-Modality Therapy | New Drugs | New Studies | Research | Treatments

Boosting Mesothelioma Survival with VEGF-Inhibitor
ByAlex Strauss June 17, 2017June 19, 2017

The VEGF inhibitor cediranib may not yet be out of the running as a mesothelioma treatment. Although previous studies have found it to have dose-limiting side effects, a new study in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology finds that, at the right dose, it could boost the effectiveness of standard mesothelioma chemotherapy. What is Cediranib? Cediranib, an oral drug made by Astra Zeneca, is a powerful inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a signal protein that can stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Research has found that mesothelioma patients who have higher serum levels of VEGF have a lower chance of survival. Cediranib has the ability to counter the effects of VEGF by latching onto VEGF receptor sites inside cancer…

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New Studies | Prognosis | Research | Surgery | Treatments

Length of Time Between Surgeries a Marker for Mesothelioma Survival
ByAlex Strauss June 14, 2017

Peritoneal mesothelioma patients who survive more than two years after surgery are the ones most likely to benefit from a second surgery if their cancer recurs. That is the conclusion of cancer researchers at the City of Hope Cancer Center and Wake Forest School of Medicine in an article newly published in the Journal of Surgical Oncology. Using a City of Hope database of 1,314 patients who had cytoreductive surgery and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) between February 1993 and December 2015, the team focused on 103 patients who underwent the procedure more than once. Fourteen of the patients (13.6%) had peritoneal mesothelioma, an aggressive malignancy that starts on the surface of the peritoneal membrane lining the abdomen. The rest of…

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Asbestos | Diagnosis | Europe | International | Statistics

Asbestos Sprayers Face Higher Lifetime Mesothelioma Risk
ByAlex Strauss June 12, 2017

Workers whose job it was to apply spray-on asbestos insulation may be at even higher risk for lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma than other types of asbestos workers. A Finnish study of four different groups of asbestos workers found that asbestos sprayers had a standardized incidence ratio (SIR) for malignant mesothelioma as much as 100 times that of the general population. The Danger of Spray-On Asbestos For decades, asbestos was prized for its strength and heat resistance and was a popular component of spray-on insulation. Before new asbestos regulations were put into place in the early 1980s, spray-on insulation could contain up to 50 percent asbestos. Lightweight and inexpensive, sprayed asbestos was considered one of the most efficient fireproofing materials…

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Alternatives | Biomarkers | Diagnosis | Europe | International | New Techniques

A Breath Test for Mesothelioma?
ByAlex Strauss June 8, 2017June 21, 2017

Researchers in Belgium say a breath analysis tool could provide the next big breakthrough in the effort to diagnose malignant mesothelioma earlier. The team, made up of scientists from Ghent and Antwerp Universities, says the technique looks “very promising” and fits well within the aims of the “National Cancer Moonshot” research initiative established by President Obama. The Challenge of Mesothelioma Diagnosis Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare, lung-related cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Although scientists have identified several compounds or “biomarkers” in blood or lung fluid that seem to be overproduced by mesothelioma tumors, these markers are not reliable enough to use as stand-alone diagnostic tools. Instead, they are currently used in conjunction with other diagnostic tools such as…

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Australia | Biomarkers | Diagnosis | Europe | International | Mesothelioma | Prognosis

New Blood Test Could Mean Earlier Mesothelioma Diagnosis
ByAlex Strauss June 5, 2017June 5, 2017

A calcium-binding protein called calretinin may provide the basis for a new kind of blood test for the asbestos-linked cancer, malignant mesothelioma. Right now, there is no reliable way to detect the presence of a mesothelioma tumor before symptoms develop. The Search for a Mesothelioma Blood Test But scientists around the world are searching for ways to use certain compounds produced by tumors to diagnose mesothelioma earlier, allowing for earlier treatment and potentially better outcomes. Calretinin is one such compound. It is a protein involved in calcium signaling, a process that governs a number of critical cellular processes. A team of scientists from Germany and Australia recently pitted calretinin against the more established mesothelioma biomarker, mesothelin, in a test to see which protein…

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Alternatives | Asia | International | Multi-Modality Therapy | New Drugs | New Studies | Research | Treatments

Cholesterol Drug May Protect Mesothelioma Patients from Radiation
ByAlex Strauss June 3, 2017

A new study suggests that the cholesterol-lowering drug pravastatin could one-day be used to help protect mesothelioma patients from the damaging side effects of radiotherapy. According to Japanese researchers, mice with malignant mesothelioma who were given pravastatin (Pravachol) in drinking water prior to receiving radiation experienced less damage to healthy cells in their lungs and intestines. The results suggest that pravastatin might make radiotherapy safer and more effective for people with pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma and other cancers. How Does Pravastatin Work? Like other statin drugs, pravastatin is designed to lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol in the blood while increasing levels of “good” cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Marketed under the brand name Pravachol, pravastatin…

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Alternatives | Immune Systems | Immunotherapy | Multi-Modality Therapy | Prognosis | Research | Treatments | Virus

Altered Viruses May Help Boost Immunotherapy for Malignant Mesothelioma
ByAlex Strauss May 31, 2017

Viruses may soon be playing a bigger role in the fight against malignant mesothelioma and other thoracic cancers. A pair of biologists from Minnesota say there is evidence that, in addition to killing mesothelioma cells directly, specific kinds of altered viruses might help make mesothelioma immunotherapy treatment more effective. How Does Immunotherapy Work? Like many other types of cancer, mesothelioma tumors are able to grow unchecked in part by “hiding” from the immune system. Immunotherapy relies on a variety of different substances that stimulate the immune system and allow it to recognize enemies such as mesothelioma cells. Immunotherapy is considered one of the most important and promising methods for fighting many types of cancer, including pleural mesothelioma. In some cases, immunotherapy…

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